The Russian Foreign Ministry noted the absence of grounds for the resumption of the START Treaty

Currently, there are no grounds for resuming actions under the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START Treaty) against the background of current relations between Russia and the United States. This was announced on July 2 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

"There are no grounds for a full—scale resumption of actions under the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty in the current conditions," she said during a briefing.

According to Zakharova, the Russian side has repeatedly outlined the prerequisites for restarting the treaty initiative, but the state of Russian-American relations remains a "key obstacle" in this matter.

"Washington needs to return to practical compliance with the fundamental principles of the START Treaty," the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summed up.

She clarified that Russia's approaches within the framework of the treaty will also be adjusted in accordance with the analysis of the international situation, strategic stability and security.

Reaching the Ceiling: Washington Accused Moscow of Violating the Limitations of the START Treaty

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly emphasized that the rearmament of Russia's nuclear forces is within the established limits

In April, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was still difficult to imagine the start of negotiations on the restoration of the Russian Federation in the START Treaty. He clarified that the start of negotiations on strategic security and arms control issues implies a certain level of bilateral relations, development and mutual trust.

The Russian side has suspended its participation in the START Treaty. The corresponding decision was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 21, 2023, in a message to the Federal Assembly. The Head of State stressed that Russia is not withdrawing from the treaty, but before returning to the discussion of the issue, it should understand for itself how the START Treaty will take into account the arsenals of not only the United States, but also other NATO nuclear powers — Great Britain and France.