Russia to End Pause on Medium-, Short-Range Missile Deployment

Russia will scrap a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate- and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles because the US has deployed such weapons in various regions around the world, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Dec 29.

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MOSCOW -

Russia's move, long signaled, will kill off all that remains from one of the most significant arms control treaties of the Cold War, amid fears that the world's two biggest nuclear powers could be entering a new arms race together with China.

Russia and the US, which both admit their relations are worse than at any time since the depths of the Cold War, have expressed regret about the disintegration of the tangle of arms control treaties that sought to slow the arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Asked by state news agency RIA if Russia could withdraw from the New Start treaty before its expiry in February 2026, Mr Lavrov said there were currently "no conditions" for a strategic dialogue with Washington.