Kremlin: We Have Not Received Notification from Trump Regarding Nuclear Tests, and Russia Is Not Engaging in an Arms Race
The Kremlin has stated that Washington has not notified Moscow of its plans to resume nuclear tests prior to statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump ordering the Defense Department to do so, warning that Russia will respond appropriately if any country abandons the moratorium on testing.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that the United States is a “sovereign state with the right to make its own decisions,” adding that Washington has yet to present any “substantial proposals” regarding the New START treaty, while distinguishing between the treaty’s fate and the issue of nuclear tests as separate matters.
Peskov noted that Moscow is not currently conducting expert-level negotiations on nuclear disarmament, although the issue remains on the agenda. He expressed his belief that dialogue with Washington has not reached an impasse and denied the initiation of a “new arms race.”
The Kremlin’s position follows statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, in which he suggested that the constraints of the New START treaty could be maintained voluntarily if the United States were to do the same. Peskov also touched upon talks between Trump and Putin regarding disarmament.
In a separate matter, following Putin’s announcement of successful tests for the Poseidon torpedo and the Burevestnik missile equipped with a small nuclear reactor, Peskov stated that these actions “are not nuclear tests,” expressing hope that information about the tests had been accurately relayed to Trump.
Putin had described the Poseidon torpedo as having immense capabilities and claimed it outperformed the Sarmat ballistic missile in some respects. He praised the Burevestnik missile, calling its small nuclear system a technical achievement that allows for faster launches than conventional reactors.
The Kremlin reiterated that any abandonment of the commitment to halt nuclear testing by any country will be met with a corresponding Russian response.
