US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday discussed arms control and other issues.
Their call comes as Moscow has signaled readiness to include some of its latest nuclear weapons in the New Start treaty, which is the only remaining nuclear arms reduction deal between with the US and Russia, and expires in February 2021.
However, Washington has not yet accepted Moscow’s offer to extend it, and has instead pushed for a new pact that would also include China. Moscow has described that goal as unrealistic as Beijing has been reluctant to discuss any deal that would reduce its nuclear arsenal.
During the call, Pompeo stressed that any future arms control talks must also include China. Lavrov, who reiterated Moscow’s offer to extend New Start, added that the arms control dialogue should “include all factors that impact strategic stability”. Russia has previously expressed concerns over US plans to deploy weapons in space.
The New Start treaty, signed in 2010, limits the number of each country’s deployed nuclear warheads to 1550, and the number of deployed missiles and bombers to 700. It can be extended by another five years.
On Friday, the state department sent to Congress a report on Russian compliance with the treaty. The report said that although Moscow is abiding by its terms, the deal does not cover enough weapons systems and leaves China with a free hand.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday that Russia’s new Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile and the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle could be counted along with other Russian nuclear weapons under the New Start treaty.
Earlier this year, both the US and Russia withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, after the US accused Russia of violations, which Moscow has denied. Experts have warned that its demise could trigger a new arms race and upset strategic stability.
