UPDATES WITH KREMLIN STATEMENTS ON NEW START TREATY; REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE
By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - The Kremlin on Thursday declined to comment on a reported visit by French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic adviser to Moscow.
Commenting on reports published by French media in remarks to journalists, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is aware that the Elysee Palace neither confirmed nor denied the reports concerning the visit.
“So, out of a sense of solidarity, we will not confirm or deny it either,” he said.
Citing sources, French weekly news magazine L'Express reported on Wednesday that Emmanuel Bonne, who has been Macron’s adviser since 2019, traveled to Moscow on Tuesday and met Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.
Bonne’s visit came as trilateral talks between Russian, Ukrainian, and American representatives continue in Abu Dhabi to end the ongoing war, which is set to enter its fifth year later this month. With Europe having little role in the peace negotiations, Macron has led calls to reopen diplomatic channels with Moscow.
Macron told reporters on Tuesday that preparatory work was underway to restart direct discussions between himself and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two had met in Moscow in 2022, just days before the start of the Ukraine war.
In December, the French president told a press briefing after an EU summit in Brussels that he thinks "it will become useful again to talk to" Putin.
"I think that we, Europeans and Ukrainians, have a vested interest in finding a framework to properly re-engage in this discussion. Otherwise, we'll be talking amongst ourselves with negotiators who will then deal with the Russians alone. That's not ideal," Macron said.
- New START treaty
Commenting on the expiration of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty between Russia and the US, Peskov said that Moscow viewed this development negatively and expressed regret in this regard.
"Our initiative to maintain the ceilings for another year, even after the expiration of this document, also remained unanswered," Peskov further said, referring to the proposal put forward by Putin in September last year.
Peskov stated that in spite of the deal's expiration, Russia will maintain its "responsible and attentive approach to the issue of strategic stability in the area of nuclear weapons," but that this approach will be guided primarily by its national interest.
About when the treaty will expire, Peskov specified that it will cease to be in effect at midnight on Thursday.
The spokesman also noted that the topic of New START's expiration was discussed between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting on Wednesday via videoconference.
"This topic was indeed mentioned in terms of its negative consequences for the international nuclear arms control system and strategic stability," Peskov said.
New START, which was signed in April 2010 but entered into force on Feb. 5, 2011, was the last remaining legally binding agreement limiting US and Russian strategic nuclear forces.
Earlier Thursday, Beijing expressed "regret" over the expiration of the New START treaty and called on the US to "actively" engage with Russia to preserve global strategic stability.