US, Russia strike conciliatory tones at UN's NPT conference

United Nations, August 2

US President Joe Biden said he was ready to pursue a new nuclear arms deal with Russia and called on Moscow to act in good faith as his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin said there could be no winners in any nuclear war.

Both leaders issued written statements as diplomats gathered for a month-long UN conference to review the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). It was supposed to have taken place in 2020, but was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It occurs at a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. — Reuters

New start treaty

Moscow and Washington last year extended their New START treaty. It caps number of strategic nuclear warheads they can deploy and limits the land and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them, until 2026.

Russia should demonstrate that it is ready to resume work on nuclear arms control with the US. — Joe Biden, US president

High time Washington made up its mind. Will it escalate the situation in the area of international security or embark on equal negotiations? — Russia’s UN mission in a statement