Russia, US hold new nuclear arms talks, but without China

Berlin, June 23

American and Russian negotiators on Tuesday concluded a round of nuclear arms control talks in Vienna, aimed at producing a new agreement to replace the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) that expires in February — the last remaining pact constraining the arsenals of the world's two major nuclear powers.

2010 treaty

• The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, signed in 2010, imposes limits on the number of US and Russian long-range nuclear warheads and launchers
• It became the last nuclear arms pact between the two nations after the US last year scrapped the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia

US negotiator Marshall Billingslea told reporters Tuesday that a day of high-level “marathon discussions” ended late Monday night and had been productive enough to conclude with the establishment of several technical working groups to delve deeper into the issues with the idea of paving the way for a second round of talks by late July or early August.

“We can all remember back 10 years ago, the world is, in fact, a radically different place.” New START, signed in 2010, imposes limits on the number of US and Russian long-range nuclear warheads and launchers.

The INF treaty was also criticised because it did not cover China or missile technology that did not exist a generation ago.

Sergei Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister who led his country's delegation in Vienna, told reporters in Moscow that he had reiterated the position that it should be.

Billingslea said any new agreement must include all nuclear weapons and also subject China to restrictions. — AP