New START Likely to Meet the Same Fate as INF Treaty - Russia's Foreign Intelligence Chief

Last year, the United States announced a unilateral suspension of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, citing alleged violations of the accord by Russia – a claim Moscow denies. Russia responded in kind, suspending its obligations as well. On 2 August, the US officially pulled out from the accord.

The New START nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States is likely to face the same fate as the INF Treaty that expired on 1 February 2019, Sergei Naryshkin, the chief of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, said on Friday.

The NEW Start treaty, signed in 2010, is set to expire on 5 February 2021, although it can technically be extended until 2026.

The accord stipulates the reduction of strategic nuclear missile launchers by half and limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550.

New START is currently the last remaining arms control treaty between Moscow and the United States after the collapse of the INF Treaty earlier this year.

The US officially abandoned the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on 2 August, half a year after it suspended its obligations under it.

Washington accused Russia of violating the deal, while Russia maintained that the claims were unsubstantiated.

The treaty required the United States and Russia to eliminate and permanently forswear all nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometres (310-3,417 miles).