“The renewal of the new START treaty makes the United States, the US’s allies and partners and the world safer. A casual nuclear competition would put us all at risk,” Blinken said.
The treaty – the only one that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals – was set to expire on February 5. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday extending the treaty for another five years.
President Joe Biden made renewing the pact a priority when he took office, even when he launched an investigation into Russian crime ranging from the SolarWinds hack to the alleged bounties Moscow offered for the deaths of US troops in Afghanistan.
In a statement, Blinken said that the renewal of the new START treaty allows verifiable limits for Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers until February 5, 2026, and the treaty’s “ verification regime allows us to monitor Russian compliance. of the treaty and gives us a better understanding of Russia’s nuclear position, including through data exchange and on-site inspections that allow US inspectors to keep an eye on Russian nuclear forces and facilities. “
“We will also strive for arms control to mitigate the dangers of China’s modern and growing nuclear arsenal,” added Blinken. “The United States is committed to effective gun control that increases stability, transparency and predictability while reducing the risks of costly, dangerous arms competitions.”
The top US diplomat noted that “ just as we engage the Russian Federation in ways that advance US interests, such as a five-year extension of New START and wider discussions to reduce the likelihood of crisis and conflict, we are keep an eye on the challenges. that pits Russia against the United States and the world. “
“Just as we work with Russia to advance US interests, we will also work to hold Russia accountable for both hostile actions and its human rights violations, in close coordination with our allies and partners,” said he.
The US and allies were united in sentencing Russia’s opposition leader Alexey Navalny to two and a half years in prison, a move that will be part of Biden’s overhaul of Russia’s policy, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. And European countries, gaining access to information the US gains from New START exchanges with Russia, had pushed for renewal of the nuclear treaty.
Coordination and confrontation
The new START treaty limits both countries to deploying 1,550 warheads with more than 700 delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and bombers. It also allows for 18 on-site inspections each year, with each party able to keep a close eye on the capabilities of the others.
The nuclear treaty is part of a series of issues that the Biden administration will have to confront or possibly coordinate with Russia, including efforts to sanction North Korea and ensure stability in Afghanistan – questions the president should address allies first. consult. Also on the roster for discussion with allies: the issue of administering sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Crimea.
Biden must also factor in suspicions that Moscow is behind a series of mysterious sonic attacks on US diplomats abroad, reports that Russia has secretly offered bounties to Afghan militias to kill US soldiers and Moscow’s interference in the 2020 election campaign.
Perhaps most disturbingly, Biden is also dealing with a suspicion that Russia may be behind one of the largest and most sophisticated cyber-attacks in years, an attack that has reached major U.S. companies and agencies within the administration, including the Interior Departments. Security, Agriculture and Trade. US officials have also acknowledged that the hack extends to major national security agencies, including the Pentagon, intelligence agencies and the State Department.