Russia has issued a warning to President Joe Biden and the United States, signaling that the risk of nuclear war is “steadily increasing” as Ukraine-related tensions between the two nations continue to escalate.
The statement comes amid reports that the United States has decided to cease exchanging certain information about its nuclear forces with Russia, following Moscow’s refusal to do so, as a response to its suspending participation in the New START treaty.
Vladimir Yermakov, director of the Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, stated that the fate of the START treaty may be a “foregone conclusion” if the United States continues to follow its current course of confrontation with Russia.
He further added, “The most acute threat today is associated … with the danger of nuclear escalation as a result of a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers.”
“And these risks, to the deepest regret, are steadily growing.”
The START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia. It was signed in April 2010 and entered into force in February 2011, replacing the expired START I treaty. The treaty limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads each country can have to 1,550 and the number of deployed delivery systems to 700.
According to Yermakov, the West’s possible involvement in the global expansion of the US anti-missile system undermines strategic stability with Moscow, as well as Beijing. This system was initially designed to provide protection against potential missile attacks by North Korea, but Russia has expressed concerns that it could be used to target its nuclear forces.
The Russia-China relationship on the other hand can be characterized as a “strategic partnership” that has been growing closer and closer in recent years. Both countries share a similar worldview that challenges the US-led global order and seeks to counterbalance American influence. They have also strengthened their cooperation in various areas, such as energy, defense, and technology.
In recent years, the two countries have deepened their military ties, with joint exercises and weapons sales. They have also increased their economic cooperation, with Russia supplying China with oil, gas, and other natural resources, while China has invested heavily in Russian infrastructure and technology.
The recent warnings by Russia shed light on the growing tension between the United States and Russia, which has been deteriorating since 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The two countries have been engaging in a new round of arms race, with both sides developing new nuclear weapons and delivery systems.
The US and its allies have accused Russia of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, which was signed between the US and the Soviet Union in 1987 to eliminate nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic missiles.
As the situation continues to escalate, however, experts have raised concerns about the possibility of a new arms race and even a nuclear conflict. The US and Russia hold the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, and any conflict between the two nations could have catastrophic consequences for the entire world.
