Russia postpones talks on New START pact, imperiling major nuclear accord
Washington PostNov 26, 2022
The Facts
On Thursday, the US announced it would stop providing Russia with some notifications required under the New START nuclear arms control treaty as a retaliatory countermeasure to Moscow's suspension of the accord.
The notifications include sharing telemetric data — information gathered remotely — on test launches of US intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Since it's in neither of the countries' interests to embark on an open-ended competition in strategic nuclear forces, the US is willing to engage in bilateral arms control discussions with Russia without preconditions. If the treaty remains suspended, Russia and the US, who collectively control nearly 90% of the world's nuclear warheads, may incorrectly interpret each other's moves.
Establishment-critical narrative
While Moscow remains committed to the principle that a nuclear war is unacceptable, it must not succumb to US pressure to review its suspension of the New START treaty until Washington changes its policy on Ukraine and until it's explained how the arsenals of not only the US but also other NATO nuclear weapons powers — i.e. the UK and France — will be accounted for by it.
