Russia will no longer cooperate with US inspections of its nuclear arsenals under New START control treaty

Russia on Monday announced a freeze on US inspections of its nuclear arsenals under a pivotal arms control treaty, claiming that Western sanctions have hampered similar tours of US facilities by Russian monitors.

The move reflects soaring tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia’s military action in Ukraine and marks the first time the Kremlin halted US inspections under the New START nuclear arms control treaty.

In declaring the freeze on US inspections, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the sanctions on Russian flights imposed by the US and its allies, visa restrictions and other obstacles effectively have made it impossible for Russian military experts to visit US nuclear weapons sites, giving the US “unilateral advantages.”

The Biden administration had no immediate public response to the move. Ankit Panda, an expert on nuclear policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, called Russia’s action “a cynical attempt to pressure the United States” over penalties the West has imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

“They basically are using New START inspections – something the US cares about – to force Washington’s hands,” Panda said.

Russia claimed that US inspectors have not faced such difficulties, even though Moscow has closed its skies to the European Union’s 27 nations, the UK and Canada – though not the US – after the start of the conflict in Ukraine in late February. Russia said at the time that exceptions would be made for diplomatic missions and deliveries of humanitarian aid.