Russia needs to convince China to join the agreements in the field of arms control, otherwise, the United States will not agree to the extension of expiring in the following year the Russian-American Treaty on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms (the start Treaty). About it in the first interviews said Marshall Billingsley, the new special representative of the President on arms control. In his opinion, this Treaty has many flaws and overall it is more beneficial to Moscow than to Washington. Prolongation of the contract Russia, as follows from the statements of the diplomat, in addition to bringing China to the negotiating must fulfill several requirements of the United States.Marshall Billingsley on 10 April he was appointed special representative of the President on arms control. A may 2, Donald trump nominated him for the post of under Secretary for arms control and international security. In this position it is not yet approved by the Senate, and this can be a problem. However, Mr. Billingsley did not wait for the hearings and gave (while in the post of special representative) the first interviews.Recall, as signed in 2010 agreement, Russia and the United States agreed that their stockpiles do not exceed the following ceilings:Russia supports the renewal of the start Treaty. The United States has not expressed a clear position on this issue.However, in an interview with The Washington Times Marshall Billingsley made it clear that without certain measures from the Moscow Washington for renewal will not go. First of all Russia, in his words, “must persuade the Chinese to sit down at the negotiating table”.Earlier, U.S. officials repeatedly expressed the desirability of connecting China to the agreements between Russia and the United States in the field of arms control. However, before this interview to American diplomats as tough, did not link the extension of the start Treaty with connect China and publicly insisted that Moscow must convince Beijing to sit at the negotiating table. China has repeatedly stated that because of its nuclear arsenals is incomparable with the power of the United States and Russia, no obligations he himself will not take. But Russian officials have stressed that China be persuaded to join in such negotiations need the United States itself.According to Marshall Billingsley, “one of the main problems with the start Treaty — among many other of its shortcomings is that it does not participate the Chinese.” “Russia grabbed the contract. But it in no way helps to address our concerns in regard to what China does.
And it in no way helps to address our concerns in respect of what makes Russia itself, which takes multiple destabilizing steps outside the framework of this agreement and without ��wow, so he took it a deterrent effect,” said Marshall Billingsley.In his opinion, Moscow must also be concerned about the nuclear Arsenal of Beijing, including its medium-range missiles. “It is clear that what China is doing is probably as directed against them as against us, and Russian have to admit it,” he said.According to him, the new start Treaty contains “many glaring shortcomings”, and the President, Donald trump has no interest in prolonging a failed contract, approved by his predecessor.”The administration of (former President Barack.— “B”) Obama agreed to a very weak verification regime, Marshall said Billingsley.— In the final Treaty included very little on what initially insisted the US. In particular, there are significant loopholes in the area of inspections, which the Russians exploited. So it must stop”. The special envoy did not explain what he meant, speaking of loopholes, but their elimination, apparently, can be considered the second condition for the renewal of the start Treaty.The third condition Marshall Billingsley put forward, answering the question formulated whether President Donald trump his stance on the start Treaty: “We want to understand why the Russians so desperately seek its renewal, and we want the Russians explained to us why it is in our interest to meet them”.According to him, any agreement in the field of arms control should respond to the views of Donald trump on “good deal”. “A good deal in the context of arms control is a deal that has two key characteristics, he said. First, it should allow us to avoid having to spend huge amounts of money, because it imposes significant restrictions on other countries, such as Russia and China. Second, the United States must be confident that other parties will abide by the terms of the agreement. And if they break, there will be serious consequences.”Marshall Billingsley suggested that the low price of oil and the costs of overcoming the consequences of the coronavirus will be a serious challenge for the Russian economy, in connection with which Moscow will have to revise the plans to modernize its nuclear Arsenal, and the negotiating positions of Washington will get stronger.”He put forward the conditions are totally unrealistic,”— says the expert. At the same time Andrey baklitskiy said that technically the US has not completed an interagency process for determining its approach to the strategic arms reduction Treaty, so it is not clear on whose behalf said Marshall Billingsley. “Finally, diplomacy often begins with maximalist positions that can be adjusted in the course of negotiations, that remains to be seen Russian diplomats. But, whatever it was, ��astet the likelihood that Washington would not renew the contract, and this scenario also must prepare”,— said the interlocutor of Kommersant.Note that the exit interview with Marshall Billingsley actually coincided with another telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and the United States, during which they discussed the issues of arms control. After a conversation with Vladimir Putin, Donald trump told reporters that both countries “very seriously” determined to continue the negotiations in this area.Elena Chernenko
