The United States said on January 31 that Russia was not complying with New START, the last remaining remaining arms control treaty between the world's two main nuclear powers, as tensions soar over the Ukraine war.
Responding to a request from Congress, the State Department blamed Russia for suspending inspections and cancelling talks, but did not accuse its Cold War rival of expanding nuclear warheads beyond agreed limits.
Russia is not complying with its obligation under the New START Treaty to allow inspection activities on its territory, a State Department spokeswoman said. She said Russia's refusal to comply threatens the viability of US-Russian nuclear arms control Russia has a clear path for full compliance. Russia needs to allow inspection activities on its territory, as it did for years under the New START Treaty, and meet in a session of the Bilateral Consultative Commission, he said.
Russian inspectors are not allowed to travel to the United States and conduct inspections. Moscow announced in early August that it was suspending US inspections of its military sites under New START. It said it was responding to American obstruction of inspections by Russia, a charge denied by Washington.
Over the past year, diplomacy between the two powers has been bare as the United States continues to punish Russia economically and arm Ukraine with billions of dollars in weapons as it fights back an invasion from Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, reviving Cold War era fears of an apocalyptic war.
Russia has indefinitely postponed talks under New START that had been due to start on November 29 in Cairo, accusing the United States of toxicity and animosity.