Russia and the United States expect to meet in the coming weeks to discuss resuming inspections of nuclear weapons sites under the New START treaty, Bloomberg reported on November 8, 2022, a small step towards reviving arms control talks suspended since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Bilateral Consultative Commission
The talks would take place within the Bilateral Consultative Commission, the body that handles practical issues under New START and last met in Geneva in October 2021. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the commission would meet “in the near future” and that it was important for both countries to keep talking, while being “realistic” about what could be achieved.
Inspections halted
The two countries suspended on-site inspections in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In August 2022, Russia barred US inspectors from its sites, citing Western visa and travel restrictions that it said prevented Russian inspectors from travelling to the United States.
The last treaty
New START, extended in 2021 for five years, is the last remaining treaty limiting the two countries’ strategic nuclear arsenals. Moscow has called for resuming a broader strategic dialogue, while Washington has said inspections must resume first.
Sources
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