The talks between Russia and the US on strategic stability and START have been put on pause, but not terminated, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with Izvestia on Thursday. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said this in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper published on Thursday.
"I think this is a right assessment - they have been put on pause, they have not been terminated. We postponed the bilateral consultative commission meeting on the START, we haven't canceled it. I would refrain from making guesses when we are going to offer alternative dates," he said.
The diplomat noted that the decision to postpone the START meeting was difficult. "It has been said more than once that the situation with the growing US involvement in the developments in and around Ukraine has directly influenced our decisions on whether to hold this meeting now," Ryabkov added. He said that the conclusion was negative, that it is not a right time to meet in this format.
Ryabkov pointed to the technical aspect - the lack of an agreed agenda.
" Eventually, for the first time since the establishment of this instrument, the bilateral consultative commission on the START Treaty, we have come to the session without final agreement on the list of issues to be worked on," he continued. The diplomat stressed that this was also a reason to postpone the meeting for a while.
Impossibility of unilateral concessions
Ryabkov said that Russia is not considering possible unilateral concessions in the strategic stability dialogue with the US, but is ready to resume the dialogue on an equal and balanced basis. "If and when the Americans are ready to resume [the strategic stability dialogue], we will be ready. We know that it will not be easy, the dialogue has been difficult even before, now there can be some additional elements in the US’ position, which won’t be welcome for us, but, after all, it is up to them to decide," the diplomat said.
He noted that Russia will address problems as they arise. "We are not queuing after them [the Americans], we are not begging them, we are not asking for any favors," the diplomat said. Ryabkov stressed that the dialogue can be continued only on an equal, reasonable, sensible, balanced basis.
According to him, it is possible to expect results from the dialogue only if the American side understands that unilateral concessions from Russia are out of the question. "This is no option, this is not even considered," Ryabkov summarized.
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Photo: Press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation / TASS
Based on materials from TASS