Washington commits to “quickly” negotiate a new nuclear arms control framework with a partner that “acts in good faith”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman María Zajárova revealed in statements to the “Soloviov-Live” television program on Tuesday that Russia and the United States are currently maintaining “specific contacts” on “urgent” matters, although she pointed out that between the two countries are none, they still give “full format relationships”. In his words, “Moscow is not against a mutually beneficial dialogue with Washington.”
At the same time, the Deputy Foreign Minister, Andréi Rudenko, assured in statements collected by the Interfax agency that the Russian authorities are ready to enter into talks with Ukraine “without demanding preconditions, except the most important, which is that Ukraine has good will shows .” However, he stressed that “Ukraine has passed a law prohibiting peace talks with Russia. There she. We have always expressed our readiness for these negotiations, which were interrupted through no fault of our own.”
For his part, United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed during a speech in New York that talks are indeed underway between Washington and Moscow. The American business magazine ‘The Wall Street Journal’ is the first to report on the existence of such contacts. Sullivan stressed that talking to Russia is “in the interest of the United States”, although he clarified that “we know who we are dealing with”.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that the United States reserves the right to negotiate with Russia. At the same time, citing its Washington sources, CNN reported that in recent weeks US officials have been trying to convince Kiev to show its willingness to resume talks with Moscow. The US justified such a request on the grounds that public support for Ukraine and its armed resistance to aggression in the US could weaken if the end of the conflict is not in sight.
Sullivan made a surprise trip to Kiev on Friday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to National Security spokeswoman Adrienne Watson, the US adviser also met with the head of the presidency’s office, Andrei Yermak, and with Defense Minister Oleksei Réznikov. According to various sources, Sullivan Zelensky offered a formula for a negotiating route with the Kremlin, the details of which are kept in strict secrecy. Neither Zajárova nor Rudenko have put forward anything about the content of this new negotiating channel.
Zelensky signed a decree in early October rejecting negotiations with Russia. Yesterday, however, during his usual overnight speech, Ukraine’s top leader said it is vital to force Russia into “true peace talks”. Previously, Zelensky demanded the total withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine as a condition for the start of negotiations, and one of his advisers, Mikhailo Podoliak, even stated that such talks should take place, not with President Vladimir Putin, but with whomever happens. to the Russian front.
This Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov assured that “we have repeatedly said that the Russian side is open to achieving its objectives in the negotiations, but we have also drawn attention to the fact that at the moment we have no chance see for it.” Peskov referred to Zelensky’s law against dialogue with Russia. In late October, Peskov accused Kiev of withdrawing from negotiations on March 29 on Washington’s behalf, when he said “a very, very difficult balance had been reached” between Kiev and Moscow. “In fact, the text was ready. (…) And suddenly the Ukrainian side disappeared from the radar, saying that it no longer wanted to continue the negotiations,” recalls the presidential spokesman.
On March 29, at the request of Turkey, the last negotiation attempt between Russia and Ukraine to find a solution to the conflict took place in Istanbul. But it was a failure, because it again omitted the thorny territorial issue. The next day, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, warned to clear any doubt that Moscow would never give up Crimea and Donbas, thereby giving up any possibility of an agreement. Now add the annexations of Donetsk, Lugank, Kherson and Zaporizhia to make an agreement even more difficult. After the fiasco, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that “the Kiev regime is controlled by Washington and its allies, who urge President Zelensky to continue fighting (…) Ukrainian side are asking for the withdrawal of troops and will gather more and more preconditions. (…) This is unacceptable”.
Regardless of what Washington-Moscow contacts may bring of themselves for ending hostilities in Ukraine, another issue that Zajárova suggested could be on the table is talks to replace the Treaty of Strategic Arms Reduction (START ) for a new agreement. In early August, Lavrov denounced “the lack of will” of the United States in this regard. “They have not even offered to resume these negotiations. We have not received a call for a restart,” lamented the head of Russian diplomacy from Burma.
US President Joe Biden responded that the White House is “ready to rapidly negotiate a new nuclear arms control framework to replace New START when it expires in 2026 (…) but the negotiations require a partner who is acts faithfully”. Washington and Moscow announced in February 2021 the entry into force of the five-year extension of said treaty with the aim of strengthening “the national security of both countries” and ensuring “verifiable limits for intercontinental nuclear weapons”. However, on August 8, Moscow suspended inspections of military installations provided for in the START treaty. The current resumption of contacts between the two countries would mark the first time since August that an attempt has been made to resolve the disagreement and push for the replacement of the old nuclear weapons limitation treaty with a more up-to-date treaty , taking into account the threats posed by the war in Ukraine and the constant references to the possible use of atomic bombs.
Source: La Verdad
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