The United States reacted to the suspension of the START treaty by Russia

The United States reacted to Russia’s suspension of the so-called. of the “new” Arms Control Agreement, known as START (Strategic Offensive Arms), the US Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance announced Thursday.

According to the document, the United States is committed to full and mutual compliance with the treaty by taking action in this spirit. According to the position of the United States, the suspension of participation in the treaty, about which the President of Russia Vladimir Putin announced in February, is legally invalid, and the Russian procedure constitutes a breach of the agreement.

According to the US government, Washington’s response is consistent with international law, proportionate, reversible and consistent with all other legal obligations and is aimed at “returning the state to fulfill its international obligations.”

The announced US measures include stopping from June 1 to inform the Russian side about strategic weapons covered by the agreement. They will no longer encourage arms inspections under the New START treaty in the United States and will cancel visas for Russian arms inspectors working under the treaty. In addition, the United States will no longer provide the Russian side with telemetry data on launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law the suspension of Russian participation in START in late February, but already in August last year he informed the United States that he would temporarily withdraw his facilities from treaty control.

The New START Treaty on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms was signed in 2010 by the United States and Russia for a period of 10 years, which was extended in 2021 for another 5 years.

The document required both sides to reduce their nuclear arsenals so that in seven years and beyond the total number of weapons would not exceed 700 launch vehicles (intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy long-range bombers), and limited the number of nuclear charges to 1,500 units. .

In addition, the START treaty provided for the mutual possibility for the two parties to verify compliance with its terms.