662 missiles, 1,419 nuclear warheads and 800 missiles. The United States released figures on its strategic nuclear deterrent arsenal on Monday, May 15, saying it wants to honor the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty and calling on Russia, which has suspended its participation, to do so. Moscow has refused to inspect its arsenal because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to intelligence reports, as of March 1, the United States has a total of 662 ICBMs (including missiles on submarines and bombers) equipped with 1,419 nuclear warheads and 800 launchers.
“The United States calls on Russia to respect its legal obligations by rejoining the New Beginnings Agreement and its ratification, transparency, and verification measures.”The report further stated.
On February 21, Vladimir Putin announced “to suspend” Russia’s participation in the New Start nuclear disarmament treaty. “They want to inflict a strategic defeat on us, attack our nuclear sites (…) and we have to act as if nothing happened,” the Russian president began during his address to the nation to justify his decision. The decision was unanimously condemned by Western powers.
The mutual verification clause has not been respected since 2020
Signed in 2010, the New Beginning Treaty is the last bilateral nuclear disarmament agreement between the Russians and the Americans. Moscow had already announced in early August that it was suspending planned inspections of its military bases.
The New START treaty limits the arsenals of the two nuclear powers to a maximum of 1,550 deployed strategic strike warheads, a nearly 30% reduction compared to the previous limit set in 2002. .
The new opening agreement specifically provides for inspections by both sides of stockpiles that have been suspended by the Covid-19 pandemic. US President Joe Biden’s administration tried to revive them, in vain.
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