US Not Leaving New START, Ready to Negotiate With Russians in 'Good Faith' - White House

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2020) White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien in an interview said the United States is not going to withdraw from the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), but is ready to hold arms control talks with Russia in good faith.

"No, I don't think so," O'Brien said during an interview with Fox news on Thursday when asked if the United States will also pull out of the New START deal. "We put together a very strong negotiation team... We are going to enter in good faith negotiations with the Russians on nuclear arms control."

O'Brien said the US negotiations team will be lead by US Special Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea and include other officials from the Departments of State, Defense, and Energy.

Earlier on Thursday, Billingslea said during a virtual conference at the Hudson Institute that he is working with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov on plans to meet as soon as possible to discuss arms control.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would like the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) - the last remaining arms control treaty in force between Russia and the United States - to continue under a new five-year extension so that any new ideas could be considered without rushing.

US President Donald Trump has said he would propose a new trilateral arms control initiative to include Russia and China to help avoid a costly arms race. The announcement came amid debates on the future of the New START, which expires in February 2021.

Russia has repeatedly invited the United States to extend the New START for another five years without preconditions. However, the Trump administration has signaled that it favors negotiating an amended arms control regime that would also include China and possibly the United Kingdom and France.