The Trump Administration has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to extend New START for one year. Just a few hours after Putin had issued his instructions to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the live broadcast portion of a meeting of the Russian Security Council, U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien issued a written statement in which he expressed regret for Moscow’s position and touting the U.S. approach, which he said “would have been a win for both sides.” He said he had thought the Russians were willing to accept the American proposal when he met with them, including Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, in Geneva on Oct. 2. “President Putin’s response today to extend New START without freezing nuclear warheads is a non-starter,” O’Brien said. “The United States is serious about arms control that will keep the entire world safe. We hope that Russia will reevaluate its position before a costly arms race ensues.”
“The United States made every effort,” arms control envoy Marshall Billingslea added in a Twitter posting. “It is disappointing that the Russian Federation backtracked on an agreement covering all nuclear warheads for the first time. This would have been an historic deal, good for the U.S., Russia, and the world.”
