Disarmament & Nonproliferation

U.S. open to New START talks with Russia after both 'prepared to meet'

The U.S. and Russia agreed to renew New START for another five years in February 2021, just before it was set to expire. The treaty was extended without changes, but the prospect of new talks chilled with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

, and John Heilprin

December 2, 2022 . 10:49 PM

2 min read

The U.S. says it is open to negotiations over the last major nuclear accord with Russia despite Moscow's last-minute postponement of talks (AN/Clark Gu)

The United States and Russia are at odds over the last remaining major U.S.-Russia nuclear arms treaty, despite U.S. President Joe Biden's openness to discussing it.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Friday that Russia's decision to "abruptly" call off talks over the New START treaty came just four days before a session between the parties was to begin in Cairo at the end of November.

"We are disappointed by Russia’s unilateral decision," he told reporters at a State Department briefing in Washington.

"We have repeatedly emphasized that we are prepared to work constructively on their agenda items and expected them to similarly work constructively on ours," he said. "All signs indicated that both sides were prepared to meet."