The White House ruled out this Thursday that Russia going to use atomic weapons after suspending this week its participation in the last remaining nuclear disarmament treaty between the two countries.
Even so, the spokesman for the US Government’s National Security Council, John Kirby, called it “irresponsible” that Russia has suspended its participation in the START III or New START treaty.
“We still see no indication that Mr. (Vladimir Putin is willing, willing, intending or even preparing to use nuclear weapons of any kind anywhereKirby pointed out.
In this sense, he emphasized that the fact that Putin has suspended his participation in the New START “does not mean” that he is going to launch an atomic attack in the Ukraine or anywhere else, or that he is going to “Start some kind of nuclear confrontation.”
The Pentagon reported on Wednesday that it was not going to alter its nuclear posture after the Russian decision, and this Thursday Kirby stressed that the US is “comfortable” with his strategy of “nuclear deterrence”.
The spokesman explained that New START helps both countries to be safer by imposing limits and inspections on their respective atomic arsenals.
Nevertheless, “it is true that Russia had failed to comply with many aspects of this treaty”pointed out Kirby, who drew attention to the Russian contradictions, since shortly after Putin announced the suspension, “one of its government officials came out to say that there could be some way for it to continue in force ”.
Therefore, he stated, “It’s not really clear to us what exactly he meant when (Putin) said he was suspending his participation.”
Putin announced on Tuesday the suspension of his country’s compliance with the New START, although he qualified that Russia is not abandoning the pact, but is limiting itself to suspending it because of the US.
Signed in 2010 by then-US and Russian presidents Barack Obama and Dmitri Medvedev, New START limits the number of long-range nuclear warheads each country can have deployed to 1,550.
It also restricts the number of launch vehicles and systems Washington and Moscow can have deployed or in reserve, but its cornerstone is the verification regime the treaty establishes to ensure these limits are met.
Specifically, both the US and Russia can carry out up to 18 inspections a year of each other’s nuclear arsenals with little time for the receiving country to prepare: technicians give 32-hour notice before arriving and then choose the site want to examine, which must be respected by the receiving authorities.
A month ago, Washington accused Moscow of breaching the treaty by not allowing US technicians to carry out inspections on Russian territory.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
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