Russia Says U.S. 'Hostile Policy' on Ukraine Could Kill Last Nuclear Treaty

Russia's ambassador to the United States has warned that Moscow and Washington cannot restore key communication on their last remaining nuclear weapons treaty unless President Joe Biden's administration reverses course on its punitive approach to bilateral relations.

The crucial agreement, known as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), has increasingly eroded since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when mutual on-site inspections were paused. These visits failed to resume in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine, as Moscow argued that sanctions effectively prevented personnel from traveling to the U.S. and, in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he would suspend the deal while remaining committed to its tenets.