The Russian government has proposed to terminate the agreement with the United States on the disposal of plutonium.

The Government of the Russian Federation has submitted to the State Duma a draft law on the denunciation (termination) of the agreement with the United States on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium. Information about this appeared on July 31 in the database of bills of the lower house of parliament.

The explanatory note clarifies that this agreement was signed in Moscow and Washington in 2000. It provides for the disposal by each side of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium, declared surplus for military programs. The proposed bill proposes to repeal all related protocols.

In 2016, the agreement was suspended by a decree of President Vladimir Putin. Among the conditions for the resumption were the reduction of the US military infrastructure in NATO countries, the repeal of a number of anti-Russian laws, the lifting of sanctions against the Russian Federation and compensation for damage suffered by Russia.

"None of these conditions have been fulfilled. Moreover, the United States has taken a number of new anti—Russian steps that fundamentally change the strategic balance that prevailed at the time of the agreement and create additional threats to strategic stability," the explanatory note says.

The authors of the bill consider it "inappropriate" to maintain any further obligations regarding plutonium. According to the Government, the implementation of the draft federal law will not entail negative socio-economic and financial consequences.

The Government also decided to appoint Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as its representative during the consideration of the draft law by the Chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

Nuclear synergy: Russia, China and Iran may discuss nuclear issues again

Russia is also ready to help Tehran in its agreements with the United States.

On July 15, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered the termination of the agreement with the German government on military-technical cooperation (MTC), signed in 1996. It was noted that the Russian Foreign Ministry would be obliged to notify the German side of the decision taken by the Russian government.

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