Moscow stops the “nuclear threat” with Washington

Moscow confirmed yesterday (Wednesday) that it has stopped notifying the United States about its nuclear activities, including test launches, after Russia withdrew from the “New START” nuclear arms control treaty last month.

“There will be no notifications at all,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state media, a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended the last major nuclear arms treaty between the two countries. Ryabkov said all forms, including data sharing, inspection activities and other arrangements, have been suspended under the New START agreement, which Russia has frozen. He made it clear that there would also be no information about missile tests.

In a related context, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that calls for a cease-fire in Ukraine could be a “ridiculous trap” with the aim of freezing the conflict and allowing Russia to keep the lands it seized. Although Blinken, who was speaking at a virtual conference hosted by the US State Department, did not specify any country by name, he was directing his criticism mainly at China, which presented an initiative to end the Ukraine war, including calling for a cease-fire and holding peace talks, knowing that China is the partner. The most important strategy for Russia.

In turn, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saw during the conference that not winning the battle of Bakhmut in the east of the country would allow Moscow to attract international support for an agreement that includes concessions rejected by Kiev, calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Ukraine.