Russia said it has met nuclear arsenal limits of key arms control treaty

Russia said today it has met the nuclear arsenal limits of a key arms control treaty, but it raised some issues with how the United States has sought to comply with the 2010 accord. In a separate statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry also scathingly criticized a different US nuclear review, saying it could lower the threshold for using nuclear weapons. The New START treaty signed in 2010 restricts the US and Russia each to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads on a maximum of 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers. The deadline to verify both countries' compliance was today.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it now has 527 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers and 1,444 strategic nuclear warheads. The US reported it has been in compliance with the limits since August. While acknowledging the US statement on meeting the treaty caps, Russia voiced concern about the US reconfiguring some submarines and bombers to carry conventional weapons. The foreign ministry said it does not have a way to confirm the reconfigured hardware was rendered incapable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The ministry added that the US also "arbitrarily converted" some missile launch facilities designated for training purposes, a use it said wasn't envisaged by the treaty. "The Russian federation confirms its adherence to the New START Treaty while insisting that the United States continues a constructive search for mutually acceptable solutions," to "issues that may arise between the parties under the Treaty," it said.Responding to the Russian claims, the US State Department insisted that "the United States is in full compliance with its Treaty obligations and is fully committed to continuing to implement New START." The State Department added: "In order to meet the central limits of the Treaty, the United States developed and utilized conversion procedures in full compliance with its Treaty obligations."