Vladimir Yermakov, the Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, told TASS that Russia will not engage with the United States on China's initiative regarding a treaty on non-use of nuclear weapons by the P5+1 countries (Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and France).
"We have no need to discuss with the United States [the treaty] you've mentioned (no first use - TASS) and any other Chinese initiative. There is not the slightest basis for this," Yermakov noted.
He pointed out that the United States and its European allies have a clear stance against such ideas, as they do not align with the Western nuclear "troika"'s goal of maintaining maximum "hands off" regarding the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons.
"They cover their rejection of Beijing's initiatives by expressing skepticism about the PRC's 'sincerity,' believing that there are no reliable grounds to trust China's doctrinal guidelines," Yermakov observed.
Regarding the substance of the initiative, Yermakov stated, "We respect any Chinese initiatives in the field of security and study them carefully." He emphasized that this idea should be considered within the broader context of military-political realities and in relation to other significant factors affecting international security and strategic stability.
"This approach seems to us doubly justified against the background of the sharp aggravation of relations between the countries of the nuclear P5," Yermakov concluded.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Akishin Vyacheslav/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS