Ukraine: Russia using rape as a 'weapon of war' says Zelenska
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The Russian Foreign Ministry announced this week that a meeting with the US on negotiations over START was going to be postponed. “The session of the Bilateral Consultative Commission on the Russian-American START Treaty, previously scheduled in Cairo (November 29 – December 6), will not take place on the dates indicated. The event is postponed to a later date,” the ministry said.
Officials from both countries were meant to meet in Egypt from November 29 to December 6 to discuss the nuclear arms control agreement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has later blamed the US’ “toxic” anti-Russian behaviour for the postponement of the summit.
“In all areas, we note the highest level of toxicity and hostility from Washington,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
“As part of the all-out hybrid war unleashed against us, almost every US step towards Russia is subject to a pathological desire to harm our country wherever possible.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov had confirmed the dates and location of the meeting to discuss the New START agreement last week before Moscow state media RIA Novosti was informed today that talks would not go ahead.
The treaty provides that Washington and Moscow conduct inspections of each other’s weapons sites. It was last expended in early 2021 for five years.
The inspections have, however, been suspended since 2020 over the coronavirus pandemic.
And when the US attempted to resume them earlier this year, complications arose over the war in Ukraine.
“We believe deeply, around the world, in the transformative power and the importance of diplomacy and dialogue,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a briefing last week.
“When it comes to Russia, of course, we are clear-eyed, we’re realistic about what dialogue between the United States and Russia can – both what it can entail and what it can accomplish.
READ MORE: Russian POW baffled over Ukraine’s ‘anger’ at Moscow
“We – we have focused on risk reduction in these conversations, but we’ve been very intentional about seeing to it that the ability of our two countries to pass messages back and forth and to engage in dialogue has not, does not atrophy.”
The accusation comes as Ukraine’s first lady implored the West to retain the steadfastness that Ukrainians have shown against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military campaign.
“Ukrainians are very tired of this war, but we have no choice in the matter,” Olena Zelenska, the wife of President Volodymyr Zelensky, said in a BBC interview during a visit to Britain.
“We do hope that the approaching season of Christmas doesn’t make you forget about our tragedy and get used to our suffering,” she said.
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A two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Bucharest, Romania, was likely to see the 30-nation alliance make fresh pledges of nonlethal support to Ukraine: fuel, generators, medical supplies and winter equipment, on top of new military support.
The US announced $53 million to buy electrical parts for Ukraine’s electricity grid, which along with water and heating infrastructure has sustained heavy damage from targeted Russian strikes that began October 10 in what Western officials have described as a Russian attempt to weaponise the coming winter cold.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed in Bucharest that deliveries of sophisticated missile systems such as Patriots are under consideration. A senior US defense official who briefed Pentagon reporters Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US is open to providing them.
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