Switzerland: Russia proposes New START to include newer nuclear weapons in US meeting

W/S Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov starting press conference, Geneva
M/S Journalists *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Sergei Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister (Russian): "The differences in positions still exist, they haven’t disappeared. We can’t resolve the disagreements in one fell swoop. We actually didn’t seek to do that. We had a realistic and professional talk for starters and I would like to consider it to be a particular process over time."
C/U Camera *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Sergei Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister (Russian): "Arms control as a concept, a method, an approach remains in demand despite its evolution and a changing content. We state it with delight - our American colleagues do not reject arms control as method of providing their security also."
W/S Press conference *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Sergei Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister (Russian): "Yes of course, we did not avoid that issue [the topic of the New Start Treaty]. We were coming to Geneva with a clear guidance from our leadership to work it out in details. And it was done in all the aspects including the necessity of its extension without delays under condition that a very serious problem [is solved] related to excluding by the American side a huge number of strategic weapons delivery systems which were claimed to be re-equipped, which we can not verify."
C/U Devices on table *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister (Russian): "We have discussed the situation at such an angle that the New START can overtime, if it is still in effect, become a tool of implementing control over certain types of our new armaments. We also expressed hope that if the Americans follow us on this path, then the treaty will also apply to their new equipment, when they are deployed. However, as we had expected the American side did not state any firm position on the topic of extension of the Treaty. We understood it so that domestic consideration continues in the US on that topic. We have presented our clear argumentation on why that should be done. We must get additional reserve of time in order to maintain on acceptable level the predictability in the field of strategic nuclear arms on one hand, and on the other hand - to have enough time to continue the necessary discussions on what will be next. In fact we have received no clear answer from the American side on the question what will be next, however we voiced our preferences and approaches, logical and clear as we think they are."
M/S Reporters *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister (Russian): "Of course, if a treaty ceases to exist, any restrictions and a verification regime won’t be extended anymore. It would become a real problem because we would lose predictability. In this case we’ll face the situation when escalatory risks appear, on the one hand, and arms race and the logic of countermeasures on the other hand will increase. This risks will rise also when Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty terminates on 2 August."
W/S
SCRIPT
Following a meeting between US and Russian delegations to discuss arms control, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov discussed the possibility of Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) of becoming an instrument of exerting control on newly-developed weapons by the both parties. The announcement came in a press briefing in Geneva on Wednesday.
"We have discussed the situation at such an angle that the New START can overtime, if it is still in effect, become a tool of implementing control over certain types of our new armaments," said Ryabkov speaking of Russia's last major arms treaty with the US, set to be expired in 2021.
"As we had expected the American side did not state any firm position on the topic of extension of the Treaty," added the Deputy Foreign Minister.
If not extended, Ryabkov warned, the two countries could spiral into an 'arms race'.