۴ý

Skip to main content

Russia says nuclear talks with U.S. delayed amid differences

Share
MOSCOW -

Moscow has postponed a round of nuclear arms control talks with the United States set for this week because of stark differences in approach and tensions over Ukraine, a senior Russian diplomat said Tuesday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the decision to put off the talks that were scheduled to start Tuesday in Cairo was made at the political level.

"We faced a situation when our U.S. colleagues not just demonstrated their reluctance to listen to our signals and reckon with our priorities, but also acted in the opposite way," Ryabkov told reporters in Moscow.

Ryabkov claimed the U.S. wanted to focus solely on resuming inspections under the New START treaty and stonewalled Moscow's request to also discuss specifics related to the weapons count under the strategic arms reduction pact.

The U.S. State Department said Monday that Moscow had decided to unilaterally postpone the Cairo talks and would propose new dates.

"The United States is ready to reschedule at the earliest possible date as resuming inspections is a priority for sustaining the treaty as an instrument of stability," the State Department said.

This week's meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Commission established under New START would have been the first in more than a year. The timing of the talks was intended to show that Russia and the U.S. remain committed to arms control and keeping lines of communication open despite soaring tensions over Ukraine.

Russia has protested the deliveries of Western weapons to Ukraine. Ryabkov said the situation in Ukraine contributed to Moscow's decision to delay the talks.

"Naturally, the events unfolding inside and around Ukraine in this case impact that," he said. "Arms control and the dialogue in this sphere can't be immune to what is happening around, and the bigger picture, which is quite complicated and largely disquieting, has played a role."

The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The agreement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance.

Just days before the treaty was due to expire in February 2021, Russia and the United States agreed to extend it for another five years.

In August, Russia declared a temporary halt on U.S. inspections, charging that visa restrictions, sanctions on Russian flights imposed by the U.S. and its allies, and other obstacles made it difficult for Russian military experts to visit U.S. nuclear weapons sites, giving the U.S. "unilateral advantages."

At the same time, Moscow said that it "highly values" New START and held the door open for resuming inspections in the future.

While Russia and the U.S. have suspended mutual inspections under New START since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moscow's move raised new uncertainty about the pact's future.

Ryabkov noted that there was mutual agreement over the temporary halt on inspections that was in full compliance with the treaty and emphasized the pact's importance.

"We adhere to the treaty, it's an important instrument strengthening our security and we hope that the U.S. treats it accordingly," he said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

Local Spotlight

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.