From Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s answer to a media question in connection with the remarks by National Security Adviser to the President of the United States Jake Sullivan
June 3, 2023
Question: What can you say about Jake Sullivan’s remarks at the Arms Control Association on June 2 which stirred heightened interest among the Western media?
Maria Zakharova: We believe this kind of frenzied media response is not entirely justified. We note that, in fact, these remarks do not contain anything fundamentally new that would respond to Russia’s concerns or take our positions into account. What we heard were the same old calls for Russia to immediately resume interaction with the United States in the field of arms control, including, in particular, the drafting of a new agreement to replace the START Treaty which expires in 2026 and do so, of course, on American terms.
Even though Mr Sullivan tried to present these calls in more brightly coloured wrapping paper and even outlined some “bonuses” which, apparently, were supposed to make them more appealing to Russia, Washington continues to stubbornly ignore the reasons that have led to the ongoing crisis in that area. The US officials continue to act as if this crisis has nothing to do with the openly hostile American policy towards Russia, which eventually took the form of an all-out hybrid war against our country.
We have seen no sign that, in the name of Washington’s declared commitment to arms control, the United States is ready to drop the goal of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on us and actually removing Russia from the international scene as a sovereign and full-fledged political player.
Disconnecting practical aspects of arms control from the general political context, as Jake Sullivan suggested, is not an option. No one should have any illusions in that regard. There is no need to cite the Cold War experience. We have experienced many other phases and learned a lot since then, so we will not fall for it and repeat previous mistakes.
If the United States and its anti-Russian coalition allies are truly interested in improving the international situation and are willing to return to meaningful work on arms control, they should start with forgoing their irresponsible and reckless attempts to build a world fitting the American patterns at any cost and turn away from the path which could clearly lead to a global disaster.
It is time to finally understand that the era of undisputable US dominance is over and that there is no return to it. The goal at hand is to have a clear grasp of the new realities and to begin to build the foundations for a more just, balanced and stress-resistant international system based on genuine equality, inclusiveness and, most importantly, indivisible security, and also on taking into account the interests and concerns of all countries without exception.
There’s no doubt that arms control and strategic risk reduction mechanisms, which would form the necessary safety net for such a system, could become a crucial element of it. Russia has never said no to political or diplomatic methods of ensuring security. They may take various forms and be implemented in various formats. However, we know from experience that these methods can be effective and viable only if all parties are genuinely committed to equal and constructive cooperation and honour the existing agreements without trying to cheat or repackage them to suit their needs.
Otherwise, even the most beautiful plans tend to hang in mid-air and, as the classic said, “lose the name of action” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet). Unfortunately, we do not see such commitment on the part of our American colleagues.
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