US halts data sharing, inspection activities in response to Russia's 'violation' of New START nukes deal

In response to Russia's "violations" of the New START nukes deal, the US on Thursday took several countermeasures which included withholding updates on the "status or location of treaty-accountable items such as missiles and launchers," as per a US State Department press release Thursday.

This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin in February this year said that Moscow was halting the nuclear arms control treaty. US and Russia have been under a constant state of friction ever since the war broke out in Ukraine leading both nations to take measures and countermeasures targeting each other.

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In the Thursday statement, the United States said that the nation will continue to provide Russia with notifications of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launches in accordance with the 1988 Ballistic Missile Launch Notifications Agreement. But Washington will not be providing telemetric information on these launches.

Halting inspection activities

Another countermeasure was US refraining from facilitating New START Treaty inspection activities on its soil. It has done so by revoking existing visas issued to Russian New START Treaty inspectors and aircrew members.

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To put a stop to any such inspection activities in the future also, Washington is also denying pending applications for such visas and is revoking the standing diplomatic clearance numbers issued for Russian New START Treaty inspection airplanes.

"Russia chose not to exercise its right to conduct inspection activities and has also denied the United States its right under the treaty to conduct inspection activities since August 2022, when it refused to accept a U.S. inspection," the statement read.

What is New START nukes treaty?

The treaty was signed in 2010 and was due to expire in 2026. Under the New START treaty's "Biannual Data Exchanges," the two nations are required to provide a declaration of deployed strategic delivery vehicles, launchers and warheads. The number is capped at no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and 700 land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.

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It is important to note that as per US, the country continues to abide by the treaty’s central limits, and to fulfill all of its New START obligations that have not been included within these countermeasures.

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