Russian diplomat says ties with US in ‘unprecedented crisis’

MOSCOW — Russia-U.S. relations are in a state of “unprecedented crisis” with none signal of enchancment, a senior Russian diplomat stated Thursday.

Deputy Overseas Minister Sergei Ryabkov argued that the White Home’s emphasis on growing weapons provides to Ukraine to make sure Russia’s defeat leaves no room for diplomacy.

“I don’t see any prospect for a productive political and diplomatic process,” Ryabkov stated at a briefing. “We have a very deep and unprecedented crisis in Russia-U.S. relations. The Biden administration has driven them into a deadlock.”

Ryabkov warned that the U.S. and its allies should fastidiously assess the dangers stemming from supplying more and more highly effective Western weapons to Ukraine.

“The Americans need to thoroughly and deeply weigh the risks linked to their unabashedly cavalier course,” he stated.

Ryabkov famous that Moscow would not belief Western statements about self-imposed restrictions on a variety of weapons equipped to Ukraine with a view to keep away from escalation, including that such assurances up to now have served as cowl for a gradual enlargement of the assortment of arms deliveries.

“We don’t see any sign of reason in any of the NATO and EU members’ capitals,” Ryabkov stated. “What they are doing isn’t going to strengthen their security.”

He rejected the U.S. argument that Russia’s refusal to permit the resumption of inspections of its nuclear amenities represents a breach of the New START treaty, the final remaining nuclear arms management pact between the 2 nations.

The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, limits every nation to not more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The settlement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to confirm compliance.

Simply days earlier than the treaty was because of expire in February 2021, Russia and the USA agreed to increase it for one more 5 years.

Russia and the U.S. have suspended mutual inspections beneath New START for the reason that begin of the COVID-19 pandemic, however Moscow final fall refused to permit their resumption, elevating uncertainty concerning the pact’s future. Russia additionally indefinitely postponed a deliberate spherical of consultations beneath the treaty.

The U.S. State Division final week stated that Russia’s refusal to permit the inspections “prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control.” It famous that nothing prevents Russian inspectors from conducting inspections of the U.S. amenities.

Ryabkov on Thursday insisted that Russia has continued to adjust to the treaty and change data in accordance with it. “We adhere to the treaty and observe its provisions,” he stated.

On the similar time, he reaffirmed Moscow’s view that resuming inspections wasn’t doable within the present environment.

Ryabkov’s feedback adopted a Russian Overseas Ministry’s assertion declaring that it was inconceivable to keep up “Business as usual” with Washington at a time when “the U.S. has effectively unleashed a total hybrid war against Russia, which is fraught with a real danger of a direct Military confrontation between the two nuclear powers.”

It charged that Washington’s demand for resuming inspections of Russian nuclear amenities sounds “cynical” after a latest collection of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian air bases housing nuclear-capable strategic bombers that the ministry stated relied on U.S. intelligence help.

Ryabkov, who met just lately with the brand new U.S. ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, additionally stated that the Russian Overseas Ministry has lodged a proper grievance to the U.S. Embassy, charging that its use of social networks represented interference in Russia’s home affairs.