Russia will not provide the United States with the semiannually exchanged data on its nuclear forces under a key nuclear arms control treaty, and the United States will not do so in return.
This was announced on Tuesday by a senior Pentagon official and a spokesman for the National Security Council. “European Truth” with reference to CNN.
“Yesterday we had further engagement with Russia, insisting that before the end of the month there should be an exchange of data, which occurs every six months, according to the agreement,” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb said at a hearing in the House Subcommittee on armed forces of the US Congress.
“Russia has responded that they will not provide this information. And therefore, as a diplomatic countermeasure, the United States will not provide information in return,” he said.
The US will continue to explore what diplomatic countermeasures are appropriate, Plumb said.
“What we’re trying to do is balance the response to Russia’s irresponsible behavior, but continue to demonstrate what we think a responsible nuclear power should do,” he said.
The NSC spokesman called the decision not to share data in response to Russia’s actions “a legitimate countermeasure aimed at encouraging Russia to return to compliance with the treaty” and noted that “Russia’s refusal to share this data … would be a breach of the treaty, adding to the already existing violations.
“In the interests of strategic stability, the United States will continue to promote public transparency about our nuclear force levels and deployment,” the NSC spokesman said.
Recall that after the announcement of the Russian president, the Russian parliament at a meeting on February 22 voted for a law terminating the participation of the Russian Federation in the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia reconsider your decision on the suspension of its participation in the START treaty, and US President Joe Biden called it “big mistake”.
The Russian side blames the United States for its decision to suspend the START-3 Treaty and assures that it is not going to increase our own nuclear arsenal.
Read also: Russia’s nuclear blackmail last step: what it means to stop an agreement that controls the arms race
