Kremlin Says Western Nuclear Arsenals Must Be Considered in Any New Arms Control Deal
The nuclear potential of the entire West, including Great Britain and France, must be taken into account when drafting a more advantageous agreement on limiting strategic offensive arms, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a briefing. His comments came in response to US calls to include China in a possible future arms control framework.
Peskov reiterated that Russia respects China’s position that it does not see the need to be included in such a treaty. He added that beyond statements from US officials about Beijing, Moscow recalls President Vladimir Putin’s consistent view that discussions on strategic stability and security are unfeasible without considering the nuclear arsenals of France and the United Kingdom.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump told The New York Times he was unconcerned about the potential expiration of the New START treaty, saying that if it lapses, “we’ll just do a better agreement.” Meanwhile, Russia’s new Permanent Representative to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyansky, said Moscow hopes Washington will respond to Putin’s proposal to preserve New START limits through voluntary self-restraints after the treaty expires. Polyansky stressed that China’s participation remains a sovereign decision for Beijing, which Russia fully respects.
