On Wednesday 3 February, the European Union and NATO welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Russia to extend the New START Treaty for an additional 5 years.
In a statement issued on behalf of the EU, Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said: “The EU attaches the highest importance to the New START Treaty and regards it as a crucial contribution to international and European security”. He went on to say that, by increasing predictability and mutual confidence amongst the United States and Russia, the two largest nuclear weapon states, the treaty limits strategic competition and increases strategic stability.
In addition to the treaty, Borrell encouraged the United States and Russia to seek further reductions in their arsenals, including strategic and non-strategic, deployed and non-deployed nuclear weapons. He also highlighted the need for further discussions on confidence-building, transparency, risk reduction, verification activities, and preparation for even more robust arms control agreements and reporting in the future.
The North Atlantic Council “welcomed” and fully supported the agreement (see EUROPE 12512/22). In a joint communiqué, the Allies stated that “the New START Treaty contributes to international stability”, and again expressed their strong support for its continued implementation and for early and active dialogue on ways to improve strategic stability.
Extending the treaty is “the beginning, not the end” of an effort to address nuclear threats and new and emerging challenges to strategic stability, the North Atlantic Council added.
This treaty reducing the number of strategic nuclear weapons was due to expire on 5 February. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)