The New START treaty, a major nuclear arms reduction deal, is set to expire in February. Russian officials say that seems to be what’s going to happen, as despite talk of extensions, they’ve “not received any signals from Washington that could indicate a willingness to extend New START after it expires.“
The comments came from Deputy FM Sergey Ryabkov, who says he believes the deal is a safeguard of strategic stability not just for the signatories, but for everyone else as well. US officials had suggested they wanted China included in the treaty as part of renewing it.
There is no sign that’s going to happen. China has vastly fewer arms than the US and Russia, and sees no reason why they should be involved. Since China signaled disinterest, the Trump Administration stopped talking about it as well.
With the US already withdrawing from Intermediate-Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), the loss of New START too could raise the risk of an expensive new arms race. Though officials sometimes downplay that risk, they clearly aren’t making the moves needed to avoid it.
“US officials had suggested they wanted China included in the treaty as part of renewing it.”
That is the entire issue.
China has made clear that it won’t do it, and nothing can make it do that.
The reason is that China has an entirely different nuclear policy, one of sufficiency. It can’t be induced to reduce that to insufficiency, which is of course the US goal.
We want China included; then Russia should insist Israel, England, and/or France be included.
+ the 150 nukes the US has placed in NATO countries Germany,
Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and soon Poland.
They could at least limit launchers in Europe and get the nukes out. The USA violated the spirit of START many years ago by placing launchers in Poland and Romania that can launch nuclear cruise missiles for a surprise first strike. Perhaps the Russians will place launchers in Cuba or Venezuela to counter that threat..
The NATO Conquest of Eastern Europe
Thanks for the link, i agree.
The US claims/lie was that the Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defence System in Poland and Romania was a defence against Iran and North Korea.
In fact it was a tool to be able to carry out a first strike against Russia and nock the Russian missiles out in their retaliation strike.
The Russians have always claimed that the launchers can be equipped with both defence missiles and nukes……without the host country knowing it.
Russia has made it clear to Poland and Romania that their countries will be hit if their launchers will be used.
The Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defence System in Japan and South Korea has the same purpose, a first strike against China.
Thats why Russia and China have developed hypersonic missiles…..to counter a US first strike.
The S-500 who also can nock out hypersonic missiles up to mach 10 speed, is in production and will come in service from 2021.
By the time the US gets its first generation hypersonic missiles in service, all the Russians 6 hypersonic missiles systems will be in service….+ the S-500.
For the Russians its all about strategic deterrent and making sure that the US does not have a first strike capability against Russia without getting destroyed.
Hopefully, at least a few cool heads in the US would avoid the first strike dream.
we need to double that to keep the commies at bay.