MOSCOW. March 21 (Interfax) - The consideration of Russia's return to full compliance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is possible only if Washington abandons its current policy towards Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday.
"We have suspended the treaty. And I allow for considering whether it is possible to return to its full implementation only in a situation when the U.S. demonstrates that it is abandoning its hostile policy towards Russia," Ryabkov said on the Channel One television channel.
"Currently, there are no signs of this, but rather, there are signs of the opposite approach, further aggravation, and further escalation," he said.
"Therefore, revising our position on the issue of suspension is out of the question," the deputy foreign minister said.
On February 21, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was suspending its participation in New START, but was not withdrawing from it. The same day, Putin submitted a relevant document to the State Duma.
On February 22, the State Duma unanimously passed a law suspending Russia's participation in New START.
The law said that a decision to resume Russia's participation in the Treaty between Russia and the U.S. on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms could be made by the Russian president.