Washington Remains Silent on New START as Moscow Reports No U.S. Proposals

The United States has made no proposals regarding the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), and therefore no progress has been achieved in this area, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to RIA Novosti.

“So far, there have been no substantive proposals or initiatives from Washington. Unfortunately, there is nothing to say about any progress at this point,” the Kremlin’s official representative noted.

Peskov was responding to a question about whether Washington had contacted Moscow following President Vladimir Putin’s proposal on New START after Russia’s tests of the Burevestnik missile and the Poseidon underwater drone.

Analyst: Poseidon Could Push U.S. Toward Extending New START

Tests of the Poseidon may encourage Washington to extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia, military analyst Igor Korotchenko told TASS.

He explained that Poseidon is unique because this type of weapon is not covered by existing strategic arms limitation agreements.

“There is no such classification in New START. Therefore, it does not fall under any restrictions,” Korotchenko noted.

Russia Sees Poseidon as Strategic Leverage

According to Korotchenko, the test serves as an additional incentive for the United States to support Russia’s proposal to extend New START by at least one more year. Once extended, Moscow and Washington could hold further negotiations to determine the next steps in the field of strategic arms control.

He added that the Poseidon tests could prompt Washington to initiate practical contacts and normalize relations with Russia in both the military-strategic and political spheres. Korotchenko described Poseidon as an autonomous underwater vehicle capable of delivering a high-yield nuclear charge to enemy coastal targets. The system has intercontinental underwater range and can operate at great depths while maintaining a speed that makes detection and interception virtually impossible.