UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2019) Moscow believes it is illogical to discuss non strategic nuclear arsenals as part of dialogue on strategic offensive arms reduction with the United States while Washington is not ready to discuss anything related to strategic stability as a whole, Vladimir Ermakov, the director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik.
In late October, John Sullivan, a nominee for the position of the US ambassador to Russia, said that dialogue on the prolongation of the bilateral New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) should entail discussions on the inclusion of new weapons not covered by the agreement.
"Russia is ready for the dialogue on strategic stability with the United States in any format. But what we should discuss is to be agreed upon by us. At the moment, we can see that the United States is yet not ready to discuss anything. That is why, suddenly picking out non-strategic nuclear arsenals is at least illogical," Ermakov said late on Wednesday.
