NATO urges Russia to respect nuclear pact with the US
NATO is calling on Russia to respect the only treaty it has with the United States to keep a lid on nuclear weapons expansion
BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO called Friday on Russia to respect the only treaty it has with the United States aimed at keeping a lid on nuclear weapons expansion and urged Moscow to allow on-the-ground inspections of military sites to resume.
The so-called New START Treaty was signed by Russia and the U.S. in 2010. It caps at 1,550 the number of long-range nuclear warheads they can deploy and limits the use of missiles that can carry atomic weapons. It allows short-notice inspections of each other’s nuclear bases and support facilities.
“We note with concern that Russia has failed to comply with legally-binding obligations under the New START Treaty,” NATO ambassadors said in a statement. The 30-nation U.S.-led military alliance supports the treaty and believes that it helps to limit the expansion of nuclear forces.
The envoys said that Russia’s refusal to hold consultations or to allow U.S. inspections since last August “prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the Treaty, and undermines the United States’ ability to adequately verify Russian compliance with the Treaty’s central limits.”
