In the United States called the main threat to the non-renewal of the start Treaty
Use Washington or Moscow Treaty on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms (start Treaty) as a bargaining chip would be a significant miscalculation, said in an interview with RIA Novosti, former U.S. assistant Secretary of state for international security and non-proliferation, and now the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of arms control Thomas countryman.
“I think that the main threat (the agreement — ed.) is that in Washington or in Moscow, someone may believe that we will not be able to agree to prolong the agreement until the other party does not fulfill the “a, b, c”. This is a significant miscalculation,” said a former American diplomat.
According to him, “this is not a contract that benefits only the US or only in Russia”, and “treat him as to the assignment or gift for the other side, when in reality it is an important factor of stability for both sides, it would be a mistake.”
“Unfortunately, I know people in Moscow who consider it (the extension of the agreement — ed.) as a thing that is performed under certain conditions, as something before which we must complete other 18 things. There are no good reasons for delaying the extension of the Contract. But I’m afraid it will be postponed,” concluded the Agency interlocutor.
Start Treaty signed by Russia and the United States in 2010 and entered into force on 5 February 2011. It provides that each party reduce their nuclear arsenals so that after seven years in the future the total number of weapons did not exceed 700 Intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles on submarines and heavy bombers, and 1550 warheads and 800 deployed and nondeployed launchers. The agreement binds Russia and the United States to exchange information on the number of warheads and carriers twice a year.
The fifth of February 2018 came a deadline by which Russia and the United States were to achieve the targets start-3. The term of validity the Agreement expires in 2021.