Russia Opposes U.S. Pressure on China Over Nuclear Talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has emphatically stated that it is ‘unthinkable’ for Moscow to align with Washington in pressuring China to participate in nuclear disarmament talks. During an interview with Kommersant newspaper, Lavrov made it clear that Russia will never form alliances targeting other countries, especially not against China. The U.S. and Russia are set to renegotiate the New START treaty, which is set to expire in 2026, though no tangible steps have been taken since Trump’s initial proposal.
In late September, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested to his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that the two countries prolong by another year the last remaining arms control deal between them – the New START treaty – which is set to expire on February 5, 2026. Trump described the proposal as “a good idea,” but his statement has not been followed by any concrete steps from the White House. Previously, Trump repeatedly demanded that China also be included in nuclear arms reduction negotiations between the U.S. and Russia.
When asked whether Moscow could join Washington to pressure China to the negotiating table during an interview with Kommersant newspaper on Wednesday, Lavrov responded that “Russia will not ally with anyone against anyone, especially against China. It is unthinkable.”
Moscow and Beijing have signed a set of bilateral treaties that “clearly define our relationship, aimed at supporting each other, helping each other to strengthen our economies, defense capabilities and positions on the international stage,” he added.
“The Americans have been pushing for years [to include Beijing in nuclear reduction talks]. China has its own stance. We respect it. China says that they are not ready, they are not at the right stage of strategic potential development and they are still far from parity. We respect that stance,” the foreign minister stressed.
According to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal with 5,459 warheads, followed by the U.S. with 5,177. China so far has around 600 nuclear warheads, but it is expanding its stockpile faster than other nations, SIPRI said.
Last month, Beijing welcomed Putin’s offer to Trump to prolong the New START treaty. “Sitting on the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal, the U.S. and Russia should earnestly fulfill the special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.