Russia’s failure to comply with the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START III) and Moscow’s announcement of a suspension of compliance with the treaty’s provisions are “irresponsible and deplorable”, the State Department said in a statement on Wednesday. a statement.
Moreover, Russia’s statement regarding the suspension of START-3 is not legally valid. Accordingly, Russia remains bound by its obligations under the treaty. The State Department stressed that the United States remains committed to working constructively with Russia to fully implement the treaty.
The State Department statement cites evidence that the Kremlin’s claims are unfounded. Russia is violating several provisions of START-3 at once, including refusing to carry out inspections, while the agreement requires each party to agree to 18 inspections per year.
Moreover, Russia refuses to meet in the treaty’s implementation body, the Bilateral Consultative Commission (BCC), despite repeated requests from the United States. Attendance at these meetings is another treaty requirement.
Russia has stopped sending treaty notifications on the status and movement of its nuclear forces. This treaty clause guarantees mutual transparency and predictability for both parties regarding their strategic nuclear forces.
While the United States believes that Russia has not conducted significant activities outside the scope of the treaty in 2022, Moscow’s refusal to allow inspections and provide notifications reduces states’ ability States to assess the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons.
The State Department pointed out that Russia could easily remedy the situation by resuming compliance with the treaty requirements, which it fulfilled for many years in accordance with the treaty: carrying out inspections, holding meetings at the BCC and providing notifications and data.
The United States does not deny Russian inspections on American soil: immediately after the lifting of restrictions linked to the COVID pandemic, Washington made it clear to Moscow that Russian inspectors could freely visit objects of interest.
The State Department also denied Russia’s claim that US actions to re-equip submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers and B-52H heavy bombers are not in accordance with START provisions. III.
“These claims are false. US actions to modernize SLBM launchers and heavy bombers render converted facilities incapable of using nuclear weapons. All details of the conversion process and its results have been documented and transferred to the Russian side.
“Russia’s accusations of US non-compliance with the treaty are baseless attempts to distract from Russia’s own actions and do not provide Russia with a valid legal basis to suspend the treaty,” added the State Department.
The statement said the United States was ready to work constructively at the ABAC meeting, which was scheduled to take place in November 2022, but Moscow abruptly canceled its participation.
Moreover, the US response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine does not absolve Moscow of the responsibility to meet its legal obligations under START III.
“Russia’s non-compliance and alleged suspension of START will not prevent the United States from continuing to provide full support to Ukraine,” the State Department said, noting that “nuclear stability is especially important during crises, and the United States will continue to work to maintain it.”
