The telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, crowned with an agreement on the extension of START-3, demonstrates a positive signal for the future of Russian-American relations, but it is still premature to hope for any breakthrough in them, believes a Russian expert, head of the Center for Military -Political Research Institute of the USA and Canada, RAS Vladimir Batyuk.
On Tuesday, Russian and US presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden held a telephone conversation, following which they instructed their employees to work urgently in order to have time to extend the START-3 treaty until February 5, 2026.
“In any case, the conversation between the new American president and the Russian leader is a very positive signal. During this dialogue, not only the extension of START III was discussed, but also a number of other issues of Russian-American relations. The fact that the conversation was not just an exchange of views, but entailed concrete decisions, is a very good sign”, – Batyuk told RIA Novosti.
According to him, “few experts expected that such a conversation would take place only a week after Biden’s inauguration”. At the same time, the Russian expert expressed confidence that it would be wrong to expect a breakthrough in relations between the Russian Federation and the United States in the near future due to the complex of problems accumulated in bilateral relations.
“I think it’s too early to hope for a breakthrough in relations. It’s good that as a result of these contacts, the parties agreed to extend them and, as I have already mentioned, on some specific instructions. However, you need to understand that in the Russian A large number of blockages have accumulated in American relations. With all the political will of Moscow and Washington, it will take a very, very long time to dismantle these blockages”, – the agency’s source said.
The START-3 Treaty (START) between Russia and the United States entered into force on February 5, 2011. It stipulates that each side will reduce its nuclear arsenals so that in seven years and in the future, the total number of weapons does not exceed 700 intercontinental ballistic missiles, ballistic missiles on submarines and heavy bombers, as well as 1,550 warheads and 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers. installations. Today, START III is the only existing arms limitation treaty between Russia and the United States, but it expires on February 5, 2021. If it is not extended, there will be no agreements in the world limiting the arsenals of the largest nuclear powers.
The administration of former US President Donald Trump believed that, in its current form, the agreement was not in Washington’s interests. The White House insisted on working out a new treaty with the involvement of China or on extending the agreement, but with additional conditions. Moscow offered to prolong the treaty without any conditions with a freeze of the existing nuclear arsenals, but Trump rejected this initiative. The new administration of US President Joseph Biden was determined to renew the treaty.
On Wednesday, the Russian President instructed the Russian Foreign Ministry to hold talks with the United States on concluding an agreement to extend the START Treaty.