The introduction of Russia's weapons that are currently under development into the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), as proposed by the US Department of State, is absolutely out of question, Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Russian upper house's Foreign Affairs committee, told Sputnik on Tuesday, commenting on the recent statement of the US Department of State
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2020) The introduction of Russia's weapons that are currently under development into the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), as proposed by the US Department of State, is absolutely out of question, Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Russian upper house's Foreign Affairs committee, told Sputnik on Tuesday, commenting on the recent statement of the US Department of State.
A senior Department of State official said at a briefing on Monday that the New START, if extended, should cover some of Russia's weapons that are now being developed, including the nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed unmanned underwater vehicle Poseidon, a nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed cruise missile, and an air-launched ballistic missile.
"As I understand, the Department of State's statement includes all the possible kinds of new Russian weapons, including those that are under development and have not been introduced into service. Such restrictions, applying to research and development activities that are underway and have not been completed � be it Russian or American � are out of question and cannot even be discussed now or in the future," Kosachev said.
The New START is the last remaining arms control treaty in force between Russia and the United States after the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The New START stipulates the reduction of the number of strategic nuclear missiles launchers by one-half and limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550. The agreement is set to expire in February 2021, and the US has not so far announced plans to extend it.
