MOSCOW: US and Russian presidents, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin need a serious dialogue to reduce their countries' vulnerability to t...
MOSCOW: US and Russian presidents, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin need a serious dialogue to reduce their countries' vulnerability to the catastrophic consequences of a nuclear attack and lower limits on excess weapons arsenals, Daryl G. Kimball, the Executive Director of Arms Control Association, told the TASS Analytical Center, commenting on the exchange of statements between US and Russian leaders regarding the testing of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the deployment of an American submarine close to the Russian coast.
The expert emphasized that he is equally critical of the latest statements from Washington and Moscow. Kimball, a consistent advocate for reductions in the US and Russian nuclear arsenals, expressed skepticism about Russia's development of the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, calling it "inappropriate" and "a new flying Chernobyl."
"Nobody wins in a 'game' of nuclear war and nobody benefits when US and Russian leaders issue implied nuclear threats," the expert noted. In his opinion, the two countries’ leaders should engage "in a serious, sustained dialogue on how they can reduce the mutual vulnerabilities of their two nations to catastrophic nuclear attack, and how they can establish lower, verifiable limits on their excessive nuclear arsenals before the New START agreement expires in just 100 days."
On September 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at a meeting with the Security Council that Moscow is prepared to continue adhering to the quantitative restrictions stipulated in the New START Treaty for another year after its expiration next February. However, he noted, this measure is only viable if Washington follows suit. Trump later called the Russian leader's proposal a good and appropriate idea.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow is waiting for an official positive response from the American side to the Russian initiative.
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