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Russia and the United States will soon hold new talks through a nuclear arms treaty commission, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced Wednesday.
“We have not stopped professional dialogue with the U.S. side, both in the form of the exchange of documents and through other existing channels. In particular, a session of the bilateral consultative commission on START will soon take place,” she said at his weekly press briefing.
The diplomat emphasized that this is not a negotiation process but a “practical” and “constant” work carried out by the parties within the framework of compliance with the pact.
In February 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his counterpart Joe Biden extended for five years the last nuclear disarmament treaty in force between the two powers, which had been signed in 2010.
New START, which includes a stockpile inspection system, was to reduce the number of nuclear warheads by 30 percent, to 1,550 per country.
In addition, it limited to 700 the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles, those deployed on submarines and strategic bombers equipped for nuclear armament.
It also reduced to 800 the number of launchers for intercontinental missiles, underwater launchers for ballistic missiles, and strategic bombers equipped for nuclear weapons, whether deployed or not.
This week, several Russian media outlets advanced that Russia and the United States planned to resume soon talks on their respective strategic nuclear arsenals, interrupted after the start of the Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Earlier, the press revealed that high-level talks are underway between Russian and U.S. national security advisors to reduce tensions between the two countries, especially related to the use of nuclear weapons.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed Monday night that such contacts exist.
