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Nuclear probe: Russia warns of threats in Asia due to the "umbrella" of the United States
The collapse of the START-3 treaty, which limited the nuclear capabilities of the Russian Federation and the United States, is seriously changing the situation on the world stage. However, Russia's security is also threatened by the spread of the American "nuclear umbrella" in Asia. Moreover, it damages international security in general, Gennady Gatilov, Russia's permanent representative to the UN office in Geneva, told Izvestia. According to him, Japan can join the cooperation between the United States and South Korea, and the corresponding infrastructure is being created in Australia. Moscow is ready to participate in the development of a global agreement on security guarantees to non-nuclear powers, the diplomat said. And as a military response, experts say, the Russian Federation may well deploy hypersonic missiles in the Far East.
The US Nuclear Umbrella in Asia
The START-3 treaty (the treaty on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms between the Russian Federation and the United States, known in the United States as New START) officially expired on February 5. The Axios portal reported that the countries have agreed to discuss options for updating the START Treaty. The Kremlin clarified that the delegations of Russia and the United States raised the issue of extending the START Treaty at the talks in Abu Dhabi, which took place on February 4 and 5. Meanwhile, the American leader Donald Trump proposed to develop a completely new agreement.
"Instead of extending the New START (a document poorly agreed upon by the United States, which, among other things, is grossly violated), we should instruct our nuclear experts to develop a new, improved and modern treaty that can be valid for many years to come," he wrote on the Truth Social network.
Washington intends to reach a more beneficial agreement with Moscow, which will include China, said Thomas Dinanno, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. However, Beijing is not going to join yet, since its nuclear potential seriously lags behind the Russian and American ones. Instead, China called on the United States to begin strategic negotiations with Moscow on extending the agreement.
Russia is ready to conduct a dialogue on the future of the START Treaty if it receives constructive responses from the United States, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed. Vladimir Putin said earlier that after the expiration of the agreement, the Russian Federation is ready to continue to adhere to the restrictions in accordance with the document for a year if the United States takes the same step.
However, the topic of the balance of nuclear forces is not limited only to START-3. The issue of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and security guarantees remains relevant. Formally, the non-nuclear allies of the United States in NATO (Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey) deploy atomic munitions on their territory and participate in joint missions. The American "nuclear umbrella" is beginning to spread to other parts of the world.
"Recently, this trend has been evident in Asia, where the "joint nuclear planning" of the United States and the Republic of Korea is gaining momentum, which Japan may join," Gennady Gatilov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN office and other international organizations in Geneva, told Izvestia. — In addition, within the framework of the Australian-American-British AUKUS partnership, in addition to transferring nuclear submarines with a nuclear power plant to Australia, there are plans to create a military nuclear infrastructure on the territory of this non-nuclear state party to the NWFZ (nuclear weapon-free zone) in the South Pacific.
These factors pose a threat to the Russian Federation, as well as damage international security in general, the diplomat stressed.
Back in 2023, the United States and the Republic of Korea signed the Washington Declaration, in which they agreed to consult when making decisions on nuclear deterrence. And last October, Trump announced that he had given South Korea permission to build a nuclear submarine at the Philadelphia shipyards.
Washington also intends to strengthen its alliance with Tokyo, especially after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is close to Trump in his views, comes to power. By the way, last year, during the exercises, the US military deployed Typhon missile launchers in Japan. The Russian Federation and China protested about this, after which Washington removed the installations.
Australia remains a state without its own nuclear weapons, but it is creating the infrastructure that allows its AUKUS allies, the United Kingdom and the United States, to base and maintain their nuclear arsenals on its territory. In addition, Canberra will receive from three to five nuclear submarines within a few decades. Starting in 2027, a base for the US and British forces will be built in Perth, Australia. Reconstruction of the Tindal airfield is also underway to accommodate up to six American B-52 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
How will Russia respond to nuclear threats
Moscow has repeatedly advocated providing security guarantees to non-nuclear-weapon States participating in nuclear-weapon-free zones. Moreover, Russia has already given legal guarantees against the use or threat of use of this type of weapon to more than 100 NWFZ member States.
—Our country would also be ready to contribute to international efforts to develop a global agreement on NSA (negative security guarantees) in the Kyrgyz Republic (Conference on Disarmament) as part of a comprehensive and balanced work program for this negotiating forum," Gatilov stressed.
However, recently, the tendency for individual countries to receive so-called positive security guarantees has become more and more evident. In other words, formally non-nuclear States use the nuclear "services" of nuclear Powers. We are talking about basing American weapons in Europe.
— Such activities do not fit well with the formation and strengthening of the global NGB system. When some non-nuclear-weapon States enjoy certain advantages in comparison with the participants in the NWFZ, a fair question arises, is it advisable from the point of view of national security interests to provide such countries with full-fledged NSAs? I think the answer is obvious," said the Russian permanent representative in Geneva.
However, Moscow is ready for another option. One of the options for its military and military-technical response may be the deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles in the northeast of the country, for example in Chukotka, including the latest Oreshnik missile, Tigran Meloyan, an employee of the Center for Interdisciplinary Arctic Studies at the Higher School of Economics and an analyst at the Center for Mediterranean Studies at the Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.
— A change in the status quo in the region with the participation of the United States can serve as a powerful impetus to expand and strengthen the strategic partnership within the framework of the Russia—China—North Korea triangle. In response, all three countries will be forced to increase their readiness for nuclear deterrence, as well as increase the number of joint military exercises," the expert noted.
Meloyan believes that if the situation goes too far, Moscow may consider deploying intermediate-range and shorter-range hypersonic missiles in North Korea. This will create a threat to the US military bases located on the main Japanese islands of Okinawa and Honshu. Recall that in 2024, Moscow and Pyongyang signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. Nevertheless, it is premature to talk about this topic, and Russia will act primarily based on how other nuclear powers behave, and will not be the first to escalate.
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