Russia has announced it will abide by the limits on its nuclear weapons as set out in the lapsed New START treaty, provided the United States also adheres to these constraints. This development comes after the treaty's expiration earlier this month, leaving the world's two largest nuclear-armed powers without binding constraints on their strategic arsenals for the first time in over half a century.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in an address to parliament on Wednesday that Moscow is not rushing to develop and deploy more nuclear weapons, contrary to comments made by his ministry last week. Lavrov said, "We proceed from the fact that this moratorium, which was announced by our president, remains in effect, but only while the United States does not exceed the outlined limits." He added, "We have reason to believe that the United States is in no hurry to abandon these limits and that they will be observed for the foreseeable future."
Background on New START
The New START agreement, first signed in Prague in 2010 by then-US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, limited each side's nuclear arsenal to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads. This marked a reduction of nearly 30 percent from the previous limit set in 2002. The treaty also allowed for on-site inspections of each side's nuclear arsenal, although these were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and have not resumed since.
International Context
The expiration of the New START treaty has sparked concerns about a potential new global arms race. The United States is pushing for China to be included in future arms control talks, citing Beijing's growing nuclear arsenal. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China's nuclear arsenal is growing at a rate of about 100 new warheads per year since 2023. However, China has refused to participate in bilateral talks with the US and Russia, stating that its warhead numbers are significantly lower, with an estimated 600 warheads compared to approximately 4,000 each for Russia and the US.
Response from Other Nations
Moscow has suggested that if China is included in a new deal, the US's nuclear allies, the United Kingdom and France, should also be part of the negotiations. The UK and France possess 290 and 225 warheads, respectively. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has stated that China will not join the bilateral arms-reduction talks. As the situation continues to unfold, the international community remains vigilant, awaiting further developments in the pursuit of nuclear arms control.
