WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States does not expect to pull out of the New START accord with Russia and will enter into good-faith negotiations with Moscow, a top U.S. official said on Thursday.
Asked if the White House would be pulling out of new START treaty, Robert O’Brien, the White House national security adviser, said in an interview with Fox News Channel: “No I don’t think so. … We are going to enter into good faith negotiations with the Russians on nuclear arms control.”
The United States announced earlier on Thursday it would withdraw from the 35-nation Open Skies treaty that allows unarmed surveillance flights over member countries, the latest treaty withdrawal by U.S. President Donald Trump, saying Russia did not observe the treaty’s rules.
The announcement deepened concerns about whether Washington would seek to extend the New START pact, which imposes limits on U.S. and Russian deployments of nuclear arms. Trump has repeatedly said he wants China to join the accord.
(Reporting by Makini Brice and Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Sandra Maler)
