US President Joe Biden said in a statement that the United States hopes to develop a new agreement with Russia that will replace START 3, which expires in 2026. published on the president’s website. They expect Russia to show that it is ready to continue working on nuclear weapons control (NW).
In the statement, it was stated that China should also participate in the negotiations on nuclear weapons as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Biden’s statement was timed to coincide with the start of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, which will take place in New York from August 1 to 26. This is the main event in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament. The conference is scheduled every five years.
“Today, my administration is ready to rapidly negotiate a new weapons control system to replace START III,” Biden said.
According to him, “even in the midst of the Cold War, the US and the USSR can work together” to achieve strategic stability. Biden said his administration will continue to support the policy of non-proliferation. He added that a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought.
Biden also urged China to participate in negotiations on nuclear weapons provided by obligations under the NPT. China’s involvement would reduce the risk of miscalculations and resolve issues of “destabilizing military dynamics.”
“Resisting participation in arms control and non-proliferation is of no use to any of our countries and the entire world,” Biden said.
START-3, the only Russian-American nuclear arms control agreement, expires in 2026. Moscow and Washington began to agree on the parameters, but interrupted the dialogue after the start of military special operations in Ukraine. The US State Department has previously said that Washington is ready to consider a new round of strategic dialogue with Moscow, but wants to see evidence of its conscientious approach.
“Bad for Russia”
On June 20, Dmitry Medvedev, vice-chairman of the Russian Security Council, said he thought it was the “most inappropriate” time for negotiations to extend the current deal or to make a new deal. He thought that the resumption of negotiations was harmful to Russia.
As President of Russia, Medvedev signed START-3 in 2010.
June 11, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov declarationHe urged the American authorities to start negotiations as soon as possible, and that the lack of contact with the Russian Federation on strategic stability issues after the end of START-3 did not meet the interests of the USA itself.
“In a few years – in 2026 – the (START Treaty) will expire. Does the absence of contacts between the military and diplomats on strategic stability meet US national interests? I don’t think so,” said the diplomat.
According to him, “time does not wait” and the parties must now “start working on what will replace it”. However, Antonov believes that the relations between the USA and Russia have reached a critical point, that the bilateral dialogue is in a deadlock. He blamed the USA for the situation.
Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Duma Committee on International Relations, said on June 6 that the START-3 interaction between Russia and the United States has not been interrupted and data exchange continues.
On June 2, it was also known that the US State Department plans to extend START-3 after 2026 and add new types of missiles to the agreement. US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Mallory Stewart said Washington wants the new agreement to take into account not only intercontinental ballistic missiles, but also shorter-range missiles. Russia more likely <…> “He will use such weapons in a conflict,” he said. He noted that there are no agreements to regulate the number of shorter-range warheads or to force Moscow to “be transparent about its arsenals”.
Conditions and consequences of START-3
The agreement was signed on April 8, 2010 by former Presidents of Russia and the USA, Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama. The document marks the seventh in a series of bilateral agreements between the USSR/Russia and the USA on the limitation of strategic nuclear forces.
The agreement applies to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), ICBM and SLBM launchers, heavy bombers (TB) and nuclear warheads of ICBMs, SLBMs and TBs. Russian ICBMs Topol, Topol-M, RS-28, RS-20 Voyevoda, RS-24 YARS and American Minuteman, Minuteman-II and Piskeeper fell under the document. Russian submarine ballistic missiles are represented by RSM-50, RS-52 Bark, RS-54 Sineva, RS-56 Bulava. The United States is only represented by the Trident-II SLBM. Heavy bombers from Russia – Tu-95MS, Tu-160. From the USA – B-52G, B-52H, B-1B, B-2A.
The parties promised to reduce the number of ICBMs, SLBMs and HBs to 700 units. Up to 800 deployed and undeployed ICBM and SLBM launchers, deployed and non-deployed heavy bombers. Warheads of distributed ICBMs, SLBMs and TBs – up to 1500 units.
By 2021, Russia has reduced the number of deployed ICBMs, SLBMs and TBs to 527 units, the USA to 665. Deployed and non-deployed launchers of ICBMs, SLBMs and TBs: Russia – 742, USA – 800. Warheads of deployed ICBMs, SLBMs and TBs: Russia – 1458, USA – 1389.