International security

Putin ally warns of arms race as Russia considers response to U.S. nuclear stance

One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest associates warned in an interview Wednesday that the U.S. and Russia are approaching a new arms race — the latest sign that geopolitical tensions are undermining nuclear arms control.

Sergey Chemezov, a top figure in Russia’s arms industry, said he didn’t believe that the New START accord limiting the number of nuclear weapons deployed by the two countries could be renewed in the current political environment. 

“How can we talk about further negotiations about arms reductions when we don’t trust each other?” Chemezov said in the interview with The Washington Post. 

Chemezov is one of the most prominent Russians to express skepticism in recent weeks about the prospect for new nuclear arms talks with the United States. With Russian hopes dashed that President Trump would improve relations with Moscow, the Russian elite increasingly appears unsettled by his more muscular approach.