US Seeks to Resume Nuclear Inspections With Russia Under New START Treaty: Nuland

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States seeks to return to mutual inspections of nuclear stockpiles with Russia under the New START treaty following suspension of Moscow’s participation, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said on Thursday.

"We would like to get back into mutual inspections. We would like to get back to a place where we can sit at a table and talk about implementation," Nuland said during an interview with The Washington Post.

The US is still trying to understand in practical terms what Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to suspend participation in the treaty means, Nuland also said.

Putin officially announced Moscow was pulling out of its long-running talks with the United States for a New START treaty during his Tuesday address to the Federal Assembly. He also accused the United States of developing new types of nuclear weapons and considering new nuclear weapons tests.

On Wednesday, the Russian parliament's lower and upper houses approved a bill to halt Russia's participation in the New START treaty.

New START, in effect since February 5, 2011, is the last remaining legally binding agreement between the US and Russia — the two countries with the largest nuclear capabilities. Under the treaty, the US and Russia have been required to reduce their nuclear arsenal to a total of 700 missiles, 800 launchers and 1,550 deployed warheads.

In June 2021, Putin and US President Joe Biden signed a joint US-Russia statement on strategic stability, where they pledged to "lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures" through the bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue and reaffirmed the principle that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."

Earlier that year, the Biden administration agreed to extend the New START accord to February 5, 2026.