Asked by: Baroness Rawlings (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the expiration of the New START treaty; and what implications of this they anticipate for nuclear arms control and disarmament.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The New START Treaty was a bilateral agreement between the United States and Russian Federation; any replacement treaty is a matter for the US and Russia. Genuine and verifiable strategic arms control among the largest Nuclear Weapons States can be a positive step for global security. However, following Russia's decision to suspend participation in New START verification measures in 2023, future approaches need to be based on concrete, and verifiable actions. The UK regularly raises issues related to strategic risk reduction through the P5 process.