U.S. Updates Data On Its Nuclear Arsenal In A Bid To Pressure Russia To Do The Same

Bloomberg: US Updates Data on Nuclear Arsenal, Goads Kremlin Over Secrecy 

(Bloomberg) -- The Biden administration updated the status of its deployed nuclear forces while taking a dig at Russian opacity two months after the Kremlin left a landmark arms-control treaty. 

The US will continue a “tradition of transparency despite Russia’s purported suspension of New START,” the State Department said in a statement Monday, referring to the treaty signed in 2010 that limited the number of nuclear warheads the two nations can deploy at any one time. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended participation in the treaty on Feb. 21, eliminating inspections and data exchanges needed to verify commitments under the last accord between the two powers that restricted their nuclear arsenals. US President Joe Biden called the decision a “big mistake.”  

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WNU Editor: After last year's attack on a base that housed part of Russia's nuclear strategic forces .... Blasts Rock Two Major Air Bases Deep Inside Russia. Ukraine Drone Strike Suspected (December 5, 2023), and coupled with the fact that Russia now sees itself in an undeclared war against the U.S., there is no way that Russia is going to share any data with the US in regards to its military. 

For all intents and purposes. U.S. - Russian nuclear talks and arms control is now dead, and will be for years to come. 

U.S. Updates Data On Its Nuclear Arsenal In A Bid To Pressure Russia To Do The Same  

Pressing Russia, US shares nuclear warhead data under treaty -- AFP 

U.S. releases nuclear warhead stats, presses Russia on New START Treaty -- UPI  

US releases nuclear warhead data in bid to pressure Russia -- Al Jazeera

Russian President Putin Says Future Nuclear Arms Control Agreements Must Take Into Account The "Nuclear Potential" Of NATO Countries Like The U.K. And France, As Well As The U.S.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Eternal Flame and the Unknown Soldier's Grave in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow on February 23, 2023. Putin told Russian state media channel Rossiya-1 that Russia will "take into account" the "nuclear potentials" of NATO countries. © Mikhail Metzel / Sputnik/AFP  

Newsweek: Putin Says Russia Has to Take NATO 'Nuclear Potential' Into Account 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow must "take into account" the "nuclear potential" of NATO countries like the U.K. and France, as well as the U.S., after freezing a key nuclear arms control agreement. 

Speaking to Russian state media channel Rossiya-1, or Russia-1, Putin said "all the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal to inflict a strategic defeat on us, so that our people suffer." 

Putin then asked state media host Pavel Zarubin, according to a readout from state news agency Tass: "Under these conditions, how can we not take into account their nuclear potential?" 

On February 21, Putin announced in an annual address to lawmakers that he was suspending Russia's participation in the new START nuclear arms reduction treaty.  

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Update #1: Putin: will 'take into account' NATO's nuclear capability (AP)  

Update #2: Putin: Russia can't ignore NATO's nukes, West wants to liquidate Moscow (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: You might as well add China to the mix. Something that US nuclear arms control experts have been calling for years.

U.S. President Biden Makes Offer To Russia And China To Enter Into Nuclear Arms Control Talks

Naharnet/AFP: Biden calls on Russia, China to enter nuclear arms control talks  

President Joe Biden called Monday on Russia and China to enter nuclear arms control talks, saying that Moscow in particular has a duty to show responsibility after its invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement, the U.S. leader reiterated that his administration is ready to "expeditiously negotiate" a replacement to New START, the treaty capping intercontinental nuclear forces in the United States and Russia, which is set to expire in 2026. 

 "Russia should demonstrate that it is ready to resume work on nuclear arms control," Biden said.  

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Update: Biden offers talks with Russia (RT) 

WNU Editor: The White House statement is here .... President Biden Statement Ahead of the 10th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (White House). 

My prediction is that these talks are not going to happen. The U.S. is currently involved in an indirect war with Russia over Ukraine, and US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is about to land in Taiwan thereby breaking the U.S. commitment to a one China policy. Arms control talks are not on Beijing's and Moscow's agenda right now.

Update #2: Puzzlement is not the word that I would use .... Russia puzzled by Biden proposal to replace nuclear arms treaty (Reuters). From what I am seeing, reading, and hearing on Russian media, they are treating this proposal as a joke.

Russia, U.S. To Hold Nuclear Arms Control Talks On July 28

Reuters Zero Hedge: Russia Announces Bilateral Nuclear Arms Control Talks With Biden Administration 

Coming off the "positive" June Biden-Putin summit in Geneva, Russian media is now reporting the resumption of direct nuclear talks between Moscow in Washington set for end of this month.

"Russia and the United States have agreed to hold their first round of nuclear strategic stability talks on July 28 in Geneva, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Tuesday," according to Reuters. 

Biden and Putin had initially agreed that bilateral dialogue on nuclear arms control and reduction remains a top priority during last month's summit. This after during the Trump administration the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was scrapped, after the US withdrew from it in 2019. 

New START was also on the chopping block. However, once Biden took office he scrambled to extend the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia, signing on to an immediate five year extension.  

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Update: Russia, U.S. to hold nuclear arms control talks on July 28 - Kommersant (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: I can predict what is going to happen. Russia is not going to decrease their arsenal .... With Cutting-Edge Hypersonics, Russia Leads in New Arms Race (Moscow Times/AFP).

U.S., Russia Close To A Deal On Extending The START Nuclear Treaty

 

WSJ: U.S., Russia Near Deal to Extend Nuclear Treaty and Freeze Warheads 

The U.S. and Russia are on the verge of an arms-control deal that would freeze the number of nuclear warheads on each side and extend the New START agreement for a year, a senior Trump administration official said Tuesday. 

“We are very, very close to a deal,” the official said. “Now that the Russians have agreed to a warhead freeze, I do not see why we cannot work out the remaining issues in the coming days.” 

The Trump administration has been pressing Russia to conclude the agreement before the Nov. 3 U.S. election, a development that would provide President Trump with a diplomatic achievement in the final days of his campaign. 

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WNU Editor: The Kremlin has given everything that President Trump asked for. This is a major policy win for the President, and also the right one to do. This deal will also probably be signed in the next day or two before the US Presidential debate .... US ready to meet immediately with Russia to finalize New START agreement (TASS). But the Kremlin is still hedging its bets .... Russia Is Hedging Its Arms Control Bets on Next U.S. Administration (National Interest). 

 More News On The U.S. And Russia Close To A Deal On Extending The START Nuclear Treaty 

US, Russia appear set to extend last remaining nuclear pact -- AP 

U.S., Russia appear on track to extend nuclear arms pact -- CBC/Reuters 

Russia ready to freeze nuclear warheads in exchange for New START extension -- The Hill 

US and Russia ready to freeze number of nuclear warheads -- DW 

Russia says it's willing to freeze nuclear arsenal to extend arms treaty with US -- CNN 

Trump & Putin On Cusp Of Pre-Election Breakthrough Deal To Extend Nuke Treaty -- Zero Hedge

White House Rejects Russian President Putin's Offer To Extend Nuclear Arms Control Treaty Because It Does Not Freeze Warheads

(1/3) “The United States proposed an extension of New START for one year, in exchange for Russia and the United States capping all nuclear warheads during that period.

— NSC (@WHNSC) October 16, 2020

(3/3) The United States is serious about arms control that will keep the entire world safe. We hope that Russia will reevaluate its position before a costly arms race ensues.” –NSA Robert C. O’Brien

— NSC (@WHNSC) October 16, 2020

RT: ‘Putin’s proposal a non-starter’: White House rejects Russian call to extend nuclear arms control treaty 

Washington has refused President Vladimir Putin's offer to extend New START, the last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia, for one year without any preconditions. 

“President Putin’s response today to extend New START… is a non-starter,” the US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said in response to Moscow’s offer, adding that Washington hopes Russia “will reevaluate its position before a costly arms race ensues.” 

Incidentally, a potential arms race was what Putin was warning against as he extended his offer to the US. A failure to prolong the key arms reduction agreement, officially known as Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, would leave the world “without any instruments to curb an arms race,” the Russian president told the nation’s security council earlier on Friday. 

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Update #1: White House rejects Putin response to US arms control offer (AP) 

Update #2: US Views Putin's Offer to Extend New START Treaty for a Year Without Preconditions as 'Non-Starter' (Sputnik) 

WNU Editor: The devil is in the details. I originally thought this was a breakthrough, .... Russian President Putin Proposes Extension Of New START Treaty For One Year Without Conditions. But this is not a breakthrough. Bottom line. The Kremlin will not accept the US condition of freezing the number of nuclear warheads, and that is why the US has rejected Russian President Putin's call to extend the START treaty by one year.

A U.S. - Russia Nuclear Arms Agreement Before The Election?

© Reuters / Marcos Brindicci 

Axios: Trump wants nuclear accord with Putin by election 

President Trump is looking to Vladimir Putin to close the deal on a pre-election nuclear agreement, a timetable that's an October surprise even for senior Republicans and some in the White House. 

The big picture: Trump and Putin have discussed arms control in a string of phone calls over the last six months, and they've dispatched envoys to negotiate in Vienna. But talks appeared stalled until just a few days ago. 

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Update: Trump Seeking Last Minute Pre-Election Nuke Deal With Putin (Zero Hedge) 

WNU Editor: The Kremlin is going to wait until after the election. They already believe that Biden will win the Presidency, and Biden has already committed himself to the Russian proposal to freeze everything for five years. So why make a deal with President Trump? 

US-Russia Nuclear Arms Talks Resume Today

DW: US, Russia meet to discuss nuclear arms pact 

The New START nuclear arms agreement, one of the last restraints on Russia and the United States, will expire in February. The two powers are meeting in Finland to discuss its future. 

Negotiators from Russia and the United States met on Monday in Helsinki for a new round of nuclear arms control talks, Finnish officials say. 

The one-day meeting was set to center around the future of the New START treaty. 

The pact limits strategic nuclear weapons and is due to expire in February 2021. 

The treaty is one of the final pacts restraining the two nuclear powers. 

The talks were led by US Arms Control Envoy Marshall Billingslea and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. 

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 More News On The Resumption Of Nuclear Arms Talks Between The U.S. And Russia 

Russia, US to Hold Strategic Stability Consultations on Monday, Deputy FM Says -- Sputnik 

Russia, USA to hold talks on strategic stability on Oct. 5: TASS -- Reuters 

  US, Russia to hold latest nuclear arms talks in Finland -- AP 

New START ‘will die’ because of unilateral US actions — Lavrov -- TASS 

Russia’s Top Arms Expert: Moscow Won’t ‘Be Drawn Into an Expensive Arms Race -- WSJ 

Bipartisan US congressional task force recommends extending nuclear treaty with Russia -- The Hill U.S., Russia Hit Impasse on New START -- Arms Control Association

Russia Foreign Minister Lavrov 'Not Optimistic' About New START Treaty Talks With U.S.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. © Valery Sharifulin/TASS

RFE: Lavrov 'Not Optimistic' About New START Treaty Talks With U.S.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he is "not particularly optimistic" about a possible extension of the New START nuclear arms-control treaty with the United States.

Lavrov said in Moscow on July 10 that the insistence by the United States that China join the treaty, a move that was quickly rejected by Beijing, suggests Washington has already decided not to prolong the pact once it expires in February next year.

"It seems that the U.S. has already decided not to prolong this treaty. Their vigor in focusing on the lack of an alternative to trilateral talks shows that this has been decided,” Lavrov said, according to the Interfax news agency.

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WNU Editor: Nothing gets accomplish with the US when it comes to foreign relations during a US Presidential year. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov knows that.

More News On Russia Foreign Minister Lavrov Saying He Is 'Not Optimistic' About New START Treaty Talks With U.S.

Russia skeptical about nuclear pact extension prospects -- AP
Russian FM Lavrov Warns About Rising Risks of Nuclear Confrontation -- Sputnik
‘They want to win’: NUCLEAR confrontation becomes likelier as US races for global domination, Russian FM says -- RT
Russia calls US’s newest stance on nuclear arms agreement 'undiplomatic,' considers not extending -- FOX News

China Rejects US Invitation For Nuclear Arms Limitation Talks

The Hill: China turns down nuclear arms control talks with US and Russia

China has doubled down on its stance that it won't engage in nuclear talks with the U.S. and Russia, reiterating that it has made its position on the matter "very clear."

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said Friday that the U.S.'s offer to join the talks with Russia was "neither serious nor sincere."

“China’s objection to the so-called trilateral arms control negotiations is very clear, and the U.S. knows it very well. However, the U.S. is persistent on the issue and even distorted China’s position,” Zhao told reporters, according to The Associated Press.

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More News On China Rejecting The US Invitation For Nuclear Arms Limitation Talks

China Rejects Prospect of Joining Arms Control Talks With U.S. -- Time/AP
China rejects new US invite to join nuclear talks -- AFP
China dismisses US outreach on arms control talks saying it has 'no interest' -- CNN
China rejects US demands to join nuclear talks -- Washington Examiner
‘US continues to pester China’: Beijing rejects Washington’s fresh invite to join arms-control talks with Russia -- RT
China views US attempts to involve it in talks on New START Treaty as political hoax -- TASS