Lavrov: Russia Won’t Join US Against China

By Staff, Agencies

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow will never form alliances that target other countries, when asked about the possibility of Russia and the US joining forces to persuade China to join denuclearization talks.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed extending the New START treaty with the US for another year before its 2026 expiry. Trump called it “a good idea,” but took no action, instead insisting China join future nuclear talks.

When asked whether Moscow could join Washington to pressure China to the negotiating table during an interview with Kommersant newspaper on Wednesday, Lavrov responded that “Russia will not ally with anyone against anyone, especially against China. It is unthinkable.”

Moscow and Beijing have signed a set of bilateral treaties that “clearly define our relationship, aimed at supporting each other, helping each other to strengthen our economies, defense capabilities and positions on the international stage,” he added.

“The Americans have been pushing for years [to include Beijing in nuclear reduction talks]. China has its own stance. We respect it. China says that they are not ready, they are not at the right stage of strategic potential development and they are still far from parity. We respect that stance,” the foreign minister stressed.

According to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute [SIPRI], Russia holds the largest nuclear arsenal with 5,459 warheads, followed by the US with 5,177. China has about 600 but is expanding its stockpile faster than any other country.

Last month, Beijing welcomed Putin’s offer to Trump to prolong the New START treaty.

“Sitting on the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal, the US and Russia should earnestly fulfill the special and primary responsibility for nuclear disarmament,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.