The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that the Russian Federation is temporarily suspending inspections of its nuclear facilities by American experts under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
Officials explain that this move is driven, in part, by anti-Russian sanctions. They argue these measures strip Moscow of the right to monitor U.S. compliance, effectively altering parity in the inspection regime.
As an illustration, the statement points to the suspension of air traffic between Russia and the United States. Sanctions have closed U.S. airspace to Russian aircraft that would have carried Russian inspectors to the United States, while Washington says there is no similar obstacle for American inspectors.
Another rationale cited is a rise in COVID-19 cases in the United States, which could pose health risks to Russian specialists on site.
The Russian delegation contends that Moscow must respond to Washington’s insistence on resuming inspections under conditions that do not reflect current realities, creating unilateral benefits for the United States and depriving Moscow of the right to conduct inspections on American soil, according to the official statement.
The decision is described as being in line with the fifth paragraph of the first part of the fifth section of the START Treaty protocol.
Russia also notes that sanctions disrupt parity in START inspections, but the United States has not offered a response, the Russian side says.
In its briefing, the Russian side urged both parties to abandon futile attempts to rush the resumption of START audit activities and instead focus on a thorough examination of all outstanding issues in this area, as stated by the State Department.
History of START-3
The START-3 agreement was signed between Russia and the United States in 2010, with the leaders Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama participating in the signing ceremony. The pact initially set a ten-year term and aimed to reduce deployed nuclear warheads to 1,500 for each side.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and bombers carrying strategic nuclear payloads were targeted for a reduction of 700 units on each side. The agreement expired on February 5, 2021.
During the final year of the Obama administration, some argued that extending START-3 could be advantageous, while the subsequent administration under President Donald Trump questioned the deal and encouraged China to join. Under President Joe Biden, START-3 has been extended to February 5, 2026.
Discussing a new deal
On August 1, 2022, President Biden indicated openness to discussing a new framework for strategic weapons control with Russia. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, replied that Moscow has repeatedly called for talks with Washington on extending START.
With START-3 running toward its 2026 expiration, both sides began outlining parameters for a fresh agreement, but discussions paused after Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine. The U.S. State Department signaled readiness to pursue another round of strategic dialogue, while seeking evidence of genuine intent from Moscow.
At the NPT Review Conference, the Russian delegation signaled a desire to assess whether the United States would truly negotiate a successor to START-3. On August 5, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl stated that Washington regards it as important to initiate talks with Moscow to extend START through 2026.
He noted that as 2026 approaches, it will be crucial for both sides to begin a detailed discussion on expanding the treaty, or exploring other arms control arrangements that go beyond the current framework. Dmitry Medvedev, who took part in signing the 2010 agreement as a member of the Security Council, described the timing of negotiations as inconvenient.
Medvedev remarked that the world has changed since the Cold War era, and while a new agreement on limiting nuclear forces is necessary, the current circumstances require careful handling. He stated that U.S. and Russian partners should seek pragmatic safeguards without assigning blame.