JAKARTA - Russia stated that starting February 4, parties to the Treaty on Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START) are no longer bound by symmetrical obligations and declarations, and are free to determine their next steps.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) on Wednesday (4/2) said it had tried to extend the agreement, the last of which was submitted on September 22.
At that time, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly proposed that the related arms restrictions in the agreement should remain in force at least one year after its expiration.
However, the ministry admitted that it had not received an official response from the United States regarding the initiative through bilateral channels.
"In the current situation, we assume that the parties to the New START are no longer bound by any symmetrical obligations or declarations within the framework of the agreement, including its core provisions, and are in principle free to choose their next steps," the Russian Foreign Ministry said, quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Thursday, February 5.
Russia stated that it would act "responsibly and proportionately" by developing its policy in the field of strategic offensive weapons based on a thorough analysis of US military policy and the general situation in the strategic sphere.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its government's readiness to take decisive military-technical measures to ward off potential additional threats to national security.
"At the same time, our country remains open to finding political and diplomatic ways to stabilize the overall strategic situation based on a solution of equal and mutually beneficial dialogue, if the conditions for such cooperation are created," the ministry said.
New START is the only remaining legally binding agreement to limit US and Russian strategic nuclear forces. The end of the agreement has sparked fears of a new era of unregulated nuclear competition.
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