Suspension of START-3 treaty is Russia’s ‘annoying and irresponsible’ decision

A State Department spokesperson on Wednesday called Moscow’s decision to suspend the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty “unfortunate” and “even more irresponsible”, saying the START-3 treaty was a “vital instrument” of interaction between nuclear powers and served as the basis for global nuclear non-proliferation.
Speaking at a State Department press briefing, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States and Russia, as nuclear powers, have a responsibility to our peoples, as well as to the peoples of the world, “to preserve the treaty that has helped advance arms control negotiations and strategic stability.
“We will be watching very closely what Russia actually does after the announcement [о выходе из СНВ-3]Price said, promising the United States would take action if Russia took “any action that requires a change in our own position.”
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, at a meeting of the UN General Assembly dedicated to the anniversary of the start of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, condemned the actions of Moscow, calling the invasion a violation of the UN Charter and international law and urged the Kremlin not to resort to threats regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons.
Last September, Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled his readiness to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia if necessary.
“We have heard implicit threats to use nuclear weapons. The so-called tactical use of nuclear weapons is totally unacceptable. It is time to come out of the abyss,” said António Guterres.
Putin on Tuesday suspended the Russian-American START-3 treaty, accusing Washington of turning the war into a global conflict by arming Ukraine.
Moscow will abide by agreed limits on nuclear missiles and continue to notify the United States of changes to its deployment, a senior Russian defense official said.
President Joe Biden said in an interview with ABC News that he sees no change in Moscow’s nuclear stance and does not believe Putin’s remarks mean Russia is considering using nuclear weapons.
Asked about Russia’s suspension of START III, Biden called it a “big mistake” but said, “I don’t read his mind about the use of nuclear weapons or anything like that.”