US is revealing its strategic arsenal, urging Russia to do the same
The United States on Monday evening revealed the data on its strategic nuclear deterrent arsenal, saying it wants to comply with the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty and urged Russia, which has suspended its participation, to do the same, reports Agerpres.ro.
As of March 1, the United States had deployed a total of 662 intercontinental ballistic missiles — a figure that includes missiles aboard submarines and bombers — equipped with 1,419 nuclear warheads and 800 launchers, according to a State Department statement.
"The United States calls on Russia to comply with its legal obligations by reinstating the New Start agreement and the stabilization, transparency, and verification measures it contains," the statement added.
Russia suspended its participation in the New Start treaty in February in retaliation for Western aid in the Ukraine war. This decision was denounced in unison by the Western powers.
The New Start agreement limits the arsenals of the two nuclear powers to a maximum of 1,550 deployed strategic offensive warheads by each, a reduction of nearly 30 percent from the previous limit set in 2002. It also limits the number of launchers and heavy bombers to 800.
The New Start Treaty specifically provides for checks on both sides of the arsenals, which have been suspended by the COVID-19 epidemic. The administration of US President Joe Biden tried to revive them, without success.
