Post #29632

🎙Statement by the Head of the Delegation of the Russian Federation, Ambassador-at-Large Andrey Belousov at the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons General Debate 📍New York, April 29 2026 💬 Before proceeding with the statement, I would like to carry out the instruction of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and convey his address to the participants and guests of the Conference. The Russian delegation requests the Secretariat to issue this address as an official document of the Conference. The NPT is a cornerstone of international peace and security. As a State Party and one of its depositaries, Russia remains committed to the letter and spirit of the Treaty, fully complies with all its obligations thereunder, and stands for its further strengthening. Over the years of its existence, the NPT has proven to be a viable instrument that serves the interests and common good of humanity. A historic milestone was the indefinite and unconditional extension of the Treaty in 1995. This decision is not subject to review. ❗️The current state of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime gives cause for concern. The Treaty is under severe strain. The trend to instrumentalise the NPT for self-serving political purposes unrelated to the subject matter of the Treaty has once again found expression in the unprovoked, unjustified and unlawful aggression by Israel and the US against Iran, in which civilian nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards have been subjected to multiple attacks. The tragedy of the current situation in Iran for the NPT lies in the fact that under the pretext of false allegations of a military nuclear programme a State blatantly disregarding the Treaty and a depositary State acting in its interests have jointly attacked a good-faith Party to the Treaty. The deterioration of the international security environment and strategic stability continues to be fuelled by the provocative and destructive actions of Western nuclear-weapon States. This significantly undermines the prospects for a substantive and fruitful dialogue on arms control and disarmament, both within the NPT framework and in other relevant multilateral forums and formats. The US has categorically rejected the Russian initiative to preserve the legacy of the New START Treaty through voluntary self-limitations. It has further declared its readiness to commence at any time the build-up of its nuclear arsenal beyond the Treaty’s limits, as well as to resume nuclear testing. For several years now, the UK has been enhancing its strategic nuclear capabilities. It has also redeployed US nuclear weapons on its national territory and announced its participation in the further expansion of NATO’s "nuclear sharing" arrangements, a practice that is deeply destabilising and has undermined the NPT regime for many decades. France, which announced on the eve of the Review Conference plans to increase its nuclear capabilities, is actively drawing European non‑nuclear weapon States into arrangements reminiscent of the so‑called "extended nuclear deterrence" frameworks practised by the US in the Asia‑Pacific region, which are intended to reinforce the US "nuclear umbrella" over Europe. *** ☝️ In these circumstances, our country seeks to act in the most responsible and well-considered manner. In the absence of US engagement with our pragmatic proposals on post-START arrangements, we will continue to shape our course in this area based on a thorough analysis of the military policies of Western nuclear-weapon States and the overall strategic environment. In the longer term, we remain open to seeking equal and mutually acceptable, dialogue-based solutions aimed at the comprehensive stabilisation of the strategic environment, provided that appropriate conditions are in place for such engagement, which should focus on viable solutions serving the core interests of all parties. Read in full