Russia accused the United States on Monday of stonewalling negotiations on a new pact on reducing the size of the two powers” nuclear arsenals, the latest sign of deteriorating Russian-U.S. relations.
“Negotiations between us and Washington to make sure that after START I treaty expires in December 2009 we have some meaningful strategic arms control regime, these negotiations are not so far heading anywhere,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START I, between the United States and Soviet Union came was signed in 1991 and eventually resulted in an estimated reduction of around 80 percent of all nuclear weapons in existence at the time.
Speaking on the sidelines of the annual open debate of the U.N. General Assembly, which ends later on Monday, Lavrov said the reason the talks had stalled was that “our American colleagues do not want to keep limits on the delivery vehicles (missile) and on nuclear warheads in storage.”
