Russia 'categorically rejects' US claims on non-compliance to START treaty

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia "categorically rejects" the US claims about non-compliance to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), a bilateral agreement for nuclear arms reduction, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Detailed official explanations addressing the US concerns were handed to Washington through diplomatic channels, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Moscow and Washington pledged to be "guided by the principle of indivisible security" and "to strive to further reduce the role and importance of nuclear weapons," the ministry said, adding that the current US policy "diametrically opposes to all these goals."

It noted that contradictory to the principle of balance between offensive and defensive weapons, Washington has been increasing its anti-ballistic missile systems for many years despite Moscow's objections.

The ministry argued that Washington renamed and reequipped "a significant part" of its strategic arms to avoid conditions of the treaty, and also blocked the possibility of inspections for the Russian side on US territory by closing airspace for Russian aircraft.

It said "the aggressive course" pursued by Washington with the openly stated goal of inflicting a "strategic defeat" on Russia in Ukraine, as well as the confrontation "escalated by the current American administration in all areas of bilateral interstate interaction," make it impossible to conduct business as usual.

"The United States de facto has unleashed a total hybrid war against Russia, which is fraught with a real danger of a direct military clash between the two nuclear powers.

"In this context Washington's demands to resume inspection activities on the Russian strategic arms facilities are frankly cynical, especially in conditions when the Kyiv regime tried to hit them with obvious military-technical and information-intelligence assistance from the US," it stressed.

As long as Washington does not reconsider its "hostile line" towards Russia and does not abandon the "policy of increasing threats to its national security," any steps forward on the implementation of the START will be "unjustified, untimely and inappropriate," including meetings of the bilateral consultative commission on this treaty, it stressed.

Russia confirms its adherence to the START and calls on the US to recognize that there is no alternative to building relations with Russia based on the fundamental principles of equality and mutual consideration of interests, the ministry said.