Russia is boycotting the talks on the prohibition of nuclear weapons in new York
Russia will not participate in the negotiations on prohibition of nuclear weapons in new York, scheduled for March 27, as he considers them late.
As reported by the newspaper “Kommersant”, said the Director of the Department for nonproliferation and arms control, the Russian foreign Ministry Mikhail Ulyanov.
Ulyanov noted that despite the desire of Russia to build a nuclear-free world, Moscow believes that “to achieve this goal you need to move intelligently, gradually and with due regard to all attendant circumstances”. “In this case, this is not” — he stressed.
The diplomat explained that Russia “respect the motives of the supporters of the radical acceleration of the nuclear disarmament process”, which starts in new York negotiating the Convention on the prohibition of nuclear weapons Moscow perceives in a negative way. “The proposed course of action brings to mind the famous adage that sometimes good intentions pave the road to hell. This initiative [to ban nuclear weapons.— RBC] poorly thought out and even harmful,” — said Ulyanov.
According to Ulyanov, set before the participants of the negotiations, the task is not relevant and “is highly romantic in nature”, because at present nuclear weapons is one of the pillars of global stability.
“If the support suddenly broken, then the whole structure would collapse, which is based on this stability. The process of nuclear disarmament can only be a step-by-step, this is the approach laid down in the decisions of the review conference of the Treaty on the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons,” — said the diplomat.
At the same time, a similar position is shared by some other nuclear powers, including USA and China. For example, a senior Director at the national security Council of the USA Christopher Ford noted that the United States “strongly opposed” initiatives to ban nuclear weapons.
The official representative of the foreign Ministry of China Hua Chunying also said that Beijing has decided not to participate in the negotiations
The day before, on 23 March, foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia is ready to discuss reducing the nuclear Arsenal. At the same time, the Minister noted that such negotiations should be conducted “taking into account all factors.”
The decision to start international negotiations, which should lead to the elaboration of a Convention on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, adopted by the UN General Assembly. In support of this decision on 23 December 2016 was made by 113 countries, 13 abstained, 35 opposed.