Russia postpones nuclear arms talks with U.S. — White House

Russia has unilaterally postponed a resumption of nuclear arms control talks with the U.S. government without explanation, the Biden administration said on Monday, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports from the White House.

“We haven’t received a real solid answer from the Russians as to why they postponed this," National Security Council's John Kirby said during a press conference. “We’d like to see it get back on the schedule as soon as possible.”

The State Department said Moscow promised to provide new dates for a meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Commission, which agrees on details for the New START.

“The United States is ready to reschedule at the earliest possible date as resuming inspections is a priority for sustaining the treaty as an instrument of stability,” the department noted in a statement.

The New START was finalized in 2011 and serves as the last key pact to limit nuclear arms between Washington and Moscow. Last year, the U.S. and Russia agreed to extend the treaty to 2026, about a month before it was set to expire.

The Bilateral Consultative Commission held its last meeting in Geneva in October 2021, a time lapse attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.