"Russia fully shares the noble goal of a nuclear-free world and confirms this fundamental point by specific steps. … Currently we are systematically getting to the full-scale implementation of the US-Russia Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty," Iliichev said during the session of the UN Disarmament Commission.
Iliichev stressed that Russia had been gradually reducing its nuclear armaments for the last thirty years
However, Iliichev underlined that further progress in nuclear disarmament "is impossible without serious preparatory work", which should be based on the principle of "strengthening strategic stability, equal and indivisible security for all states without exception".
Ilyichev specified that serious joint work in order to create conditions that would indeed contribute to nuclear disarmament should be the priority at this stage.
Both the United States and Russia agreed under New START to decrease the number of deployed nuclear warheads of 1,550 and the number of deployed missiles and bombers to 700. The agreement is set to expire in 2021 and could be extended.
