US, Russia to hold talks on nuclear treaty for the first time since start of Ukraine war

Amid the brutal Russia-Ukraine war in Eastern Europe, State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Tuesday stated that the United States and Russia have agreed to start discussions soon over the only nuclear agreement that currently exists between the two nations. According to a CNN report, all deployed intercontinental nuclear missiles by Russia and the US are restricted under the New START pact. Price added that on this issue there will be a meeting of a bilateral consultative commission, Tass reported.  

Further, the US State Department spokesperson hoped for a ‘constructive’ meeting. As per a Tass report, besides this, Price did not mention the date and time as well as the possible location of the discussions.  

It is pertinent to mention that in February 2021, early in Joe Biden's presidency, the START treaty was renewed by five years. 

Us-Russia nuclear treaty

According to the CNN report, both nations are required to consent to on-site inspections of each other's nuclear weapons-related sites. The COVID-19 outbreak caused such inspections to be put on hold in March 2020. According to US officials, the restart of the inspections is likely to come up in future talks. US authorities have interpreted Russia's continued interest in the pact as a positive development, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's unsettling nuclear threats as the war continues. Meanwhile, diplomatic relationships between Russia and the US have strained as a result of Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.  

Apart from this, the US has stated that conversations would only begin after the on-site inspections restart, while Russia has indicated that it is open to talking about the treaty's extension. 

Additionally, according to a state official quoted in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, has had private discussions with Vladimir Putin's senior advisers. The official said that the interactions can be viewed as an effort to lessen the possibility of the escalating confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, as well as a warning to Moscow not to use nuclear or other Weapons of Mass Destruction. 

The US has retained its position of support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government from the very beginning of the war. As a result, there has been a significant decline in the relationship between the US and Russia. 

Meanwhile, on November 2, the White House voiced worry about Russia's repeated threats to use its nuclear weapons in the midst of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby stated at a press briefing that "We have grown increasingly concerned about the potential as these months have gone on." 

(Image: AP)