A joint statement by the presidents of the United States and Russia on the unacceptability of a nuclear war would be a very important non-proliferation pillar for the international community, Ernest Moniz, the chief executive officer and board co-chair of the US-based non-profit organization, Nuclear Threat Initiative, said on Thursday during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2019) A joint statement by the presidents of the United States and Russia on the unacceptability of a nuclear war would be a very important non-proliferation pillar for the international community, Ernest Moniz, the chief executive officer and board co-chair of the US-based non-profit organization, Nuclear Threat Initiative, said on Thursday during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov."A very high-level statement by our presidents would be very, very important for the international community and, I might say, especially as we go into the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review conference next year, I think the more we can do together in these areas the better chance we will have for a successful review conference," Moniz said.
Moniz, who previously served as US Secretary of Energy, laid out his views on the importance of preventing a nuclear war in an article, which Lavrov said Russia could very much relate to.
"I read your article...on the faith of the INF [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty] and how this situation influences the whole global stability and strategic security, and, of course, the message which you sent in that article about the inadmissibility of a nuclear war is very much by us," Lavrov said.
The Russian minister added that he would be "very much interested in Moniz's views" on the situation.
The 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty required the United States and Russia to eliminate and permanently forswear all nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers (310-3,417 miles).
On August 2, the INF was officially abandoned, half a year after the United States announced the unilateral suspension of its obligations due to the alleged violation of the treaty by Russia. Moscow continues to deny these accusations. In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by signing a decree on suspending Moscow's participation in the accord as well.
