The Kremlin stated that Russia-US arms control talks are long overdue and require lengthy negotiations. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such discussions should have restarted 'yesterday,' emphasizing the complexity of the issues involved. Russia wants to restore ties with the US, but differences over Ukraine have prevented a reset.
The ongoing dispute over arms control talks and the conflict in Ukraine continue to strain relations between Russia and the US, impacting global security and the potential for nuclear de-escalation.
The Kremlin stated on Monday that arms control talks between Russia and the United States are long overdue and would require extensive, careful negotiations to resume. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that such discussions should have restarted "yesterday," emphasizing the complexity of the issues involved.
Russia has repeatedly expressed a desire to restore its severely degraded relationship with the U.S., but ongoing disagreements concerning the conflict in Ukraine have thus far prevented any significant reset. Peskov also commented on US President Donald Trump's proposal for trilateral arms control negotiations involving the US, Russia, and China. He noted that China has consistently indicated its unwillingness to participate in such talks, and Moscow is unaware of any change in Beijing's stance.
China maintains that its nuclear arsenal is considerably smaller than those of Russia and the United States, rendering its participation in arms control discussions unnecessary. The New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Russia and the US, was suspended by Russia in February 2023. In response, Washington suspended several provisions of the treaty in June 2023, including data exchange and inspection activities. Despite these tensions, Russia believes bilateral dialogue on the New START treaty should commence, though it acknowledges that the nuclear arsenals of the United Kingdom and France will inevitably need to be addressed in future discussions.
Separately, Peskov said on Monday that Ukraine was paying the price for its own attacks on Russia in recent months and would continue to do so as Moscow's forces systematically strike different targets there. Putin had said on Friday that Moscow had been ready to resume negotiations with Kyiv after Russia's September parliamentary election but complained about Ukraine launching a large attack on Moscow during the vote, targeting polling stations, and a drone attack on St Petersburg during a major economic forum in June.
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