Arms deal: Russia sees no U.S. willingness to discuss reducing arsenals
Russia does not yet see the readiness of the United States to negotiate on strategic stability, Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy chairman of the Federation Council, told Izvestia. Despite Donald Trump's recent statements about contacts with Moscow on this issue, there have not yet been detailed expert discussions. Meanwhile, there are only a few months left before the end of the only deterrent treaty. Earlier, Vladimir Putin announced the readiness of the Russian Federation to adhere to the restrictions in accordance with the START Treaty for another year. At the same time, the American leader announced new nuclear tests, the first in more than 30 years. This decision caused a split even within the United States. The Izvestia article describes how the dialogue between Moscow and Washington on strategic stability is developing.
Will Russia and the United States be able to agree on extending the nuclear disarmament treaty
Recent statements by US President Donald Trump have created a contradictory situation: on the one hand, the head of the White House instructed the Pentagon to resume nuclear tests, and on the other, he said that he was negotiating with Russia on nuclear disarmament.
"De-escalation, denuclearization would be a wonderful thing. Actually, we are talking about this with Russia," the American leader said after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Russian side, in turn, cannot confirm the fact of any substantive negotiations with Washington on nuclear disarmament yet.
"It was repeatedly mentioned during the contacts about the need for such expert negotiations. This is a very complicated topic, and negotiations on this topic are always time-consuming. But those very detailed expert negotiations are not underway yet," Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president's press secretary, said on October 30.
Washington's contradictory rhetoric is confusing and hinders understanding of the true intentions of the American administration, Moscow says.
— The statements contradict each other in many ways and, in my opinion, do not create an understanding of the US position. <...> Any negotiations on the entire complex of arms control can only be welcomed, because now this control is absent in all areas. The last remaining agreement, as you know, is not subject to renewal, it can only be replaced with a new text, and in order for new agreements to appear, negotiations between the parties are needed, some statements by the American president are not enough," Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, told Izvestia.
The treaty on measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive arms (START Treaty) expires in a few months, on February 5, 2026. At the same time, in 2023, Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Moscow's participation in the work of the treaty. Nevertheless, in September of this year, the Russian president declared Russia's readiness to comply with quantitative restrictions for a year after February 5. He noted that the measure is viable only if Washington acts in a similar way. There has not yet been any specific reaction from the United States, except that Donald Trump called the proposal of his Russian counterpart a good idea.
The Russian Federation will be ready to support the US proposals to start negotiations on a future agreement in the field of strategic stability and strategic offensive weapons, the senator said. The same applies to other areas of control over weapons of other classes and types.
"The Russian Federation's position is to be ready to negotiate on any topic at any level, but this requires the willingness of the American side, and so far we have not felt it," Kosachev added.
At the same time, the initiative to restart the agreements should come from those who caused them to collapse - the United States and other NATO countries, the senator says. The United States' decision to resume nuclear testing is not directly related to its plans for the START Treaty, he believes.
The Ohio-class submarine USS Nevada (SSBN 733) is moored in a dry dock
Speaking about the treaty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that this requires "a fundamentally different atmosphere in Russian-American relations." He recalled that there is no question of extending the agreement now, but rather that the United States will also accept an offer to comply with the quantitative indicators set out in the agreement.
— Against the background of all the recent events, perhaps Donald Trump will have an additional incentive to move from the conversation to the matter and comprehend the current situation, agree to certain real solutions in this regard. Moreover, I do not rule out that in the negotiations that took place between Putin and Trump in Alaska, this topic was also touched upon in a preliminary mode. If this is the case, then it is all the more worthwhile for both sides to think about moving to concrete actions," Dmitry Novikov, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told Izvestia.
Why is Trump resuming nuclear tests
The American leader posted an unexpected instruction to the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in 33 years on his Truth Social social network directly from the helicopter on which he flew to Busan to meet with Xi Jinping.
A group of people walk along a corridor that winds through the device assembly plant, which houses 30 separate buildings at the Nevada Test Site in Mercury, Nevada. The year 1997
"Due to testing programs in other countries, I have instructed the Ministry of Defense to begin testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis. This process will begin immediately," wrote Donald Trump.
At the same time, the American president clearly overreacted here. With the exception of North Korea, all nuclear powers ended their tests in the 1990s. Pyongyang conducted the last test in 2017, Russia in 1990, the United States in 1992 and China in 1996.
Trump's initiative in the United States has met with a strong wave of criticism. Opponents of the American president see it as a direct threat to both national and global security. In particular, a number of experts fear that the tests could trigger a chain reaction in other countries.
— If the United States starts nuclear tests, other countries will be able to declare themselves not bound by restrictions on the prohibition of nuclear tests. Russia can also take advantage of this opportunity. What is happening will also have a direct destructive impact on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We will find ourselves in a situation where negotiations on the START Treaty are not underway, and the nuclear testing process will resume. Accordingly, a number of countries that signed it may start thinking about their nuclear program," explains Ilya Kramnik, a researcher at IMEMO RAS.
Accidental release of radioactive materials during the underground explosion of the Baneberry charge in 1970
The expert notes that the United States currently does not have mass production of nuclear weapons, and it will take several years to restore it. In this context, Kramnik says, nuclear tests won't help speed up the process in any way. At the same time, Trump's opponents rightly point out that these tests may play into the hands of China and Russia, since they have this production facility, and the US actions may become an incentive to increase its capacity and expand the types of ammunition.
In particular, China, according to estimates by the American Center for Strategic and International Studies, may now have about 600 nuclear warheads, despite the fact that five years ago there were only 300 of them. By 2030, Beijing may increase their number to 1,000 units, and this is causing unrest in the West.
Opponents also cite the high cost of nuclear testing. Senator Maisie Hirono estimates that each of them will cost an average of $150 million. In addition, their resumption threatens the States with an environmental disaster, says Senator Jackie Rosen.: "Every particle of air, every drop of groundwater, every piece of soil throughout the United States will be contaminated with radiation, and everyone in this country will suffer," she said. Democratic Congresswoman Dina Titus wrote on social media that she would submit a bill to Congress against Trump's decision.
Nevertheless, the reason for the statements of the head of the White House lies precisely in the approach to the expiration of the START Treaty with Russia, the expert community is confident. In this situation, the American president is trying to secure advantageous positions for himself to "bargain" in further negotiations with Moscow. If, of course, they take place.
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