(Washington) The United States, France and Britain on Monday called on Russia to end its “dangerous” nuclear rhetoric, with Washington also urging Moscow and Beijing to start nuclear arms control talks.
Posted at 12:08 p.m.
In a joint declaration, Paris, London and Washington, allied countries with nuclear weapons, recall “that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be waged”, and that “nuclear weapons must, as long as that they will exist, serve for defensive purposes, deterrence and prevention of war”.
“In the context of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, we call on Russia to put an end to its nuclear rhetoric and its irresponsible and dangerous behavior,” they added. occasion of the opening of the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
In a separate statement, US President Joe Biden on Monday called on Russia and China to start nuclear arms control talks, saying Moscow in particular had a duty to show accountability after its invasion of Ukraine.
He reiterated that his administration was ready to “negotiate quickly” a replacement for New START, the treaty capping intercontinental nuclear forces in the United States and Russia, which is due to expire in 2026.
“Russia should demonstrate that it is ready to resume work on nuclear arms control,” Biden said.
“But negotiation requires a partner who is willing and in good faith. And Russia’s brutal and unprovoked aggression in Ukraine has shattered the peace in Europe and constitutes an attack on the fundamental principles of the international order. »
As for China, which has bolstered its much more limited nuclear arsenal, Biden said Beijing has a duty, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, “to engage in talks that will reduce risk of miscalculation and tackle destabilizing military dynamics”.
“There is no benefit to any of our nations, or the world, in balking at a consistent commitment to arms control and nuclear non-proliferation,” he said.
He said the nuclear superpowers, Russia and the United States in particular, had a responsibility to set the tone to ensure the viability of the NPT, which aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons technology around the world.
“The health of the NPT has always been based on meaningful and reciprocal arms limits between the United States and the Russian Federation. Even at the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were able to work together to uphold our shared responsibility to provide strategic stability,” he added.
“The world can be confident that my administration will continue to support the NPT,” he said.