Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, March 16 (Xinhua) — The fate of the nuclear non-proliferation regime is a cause for concern amid acute military and political crises in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated this in a video address to participants of the Moscow Non-Proliferation Conference. The text was published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website on Monday.
"This year, the discussions will take place against the backdrop of acute military and political crises. The fate of the nuclear non-proliferation regime is a serious concern," Lavrov stated.
"What's particularly cynical is that—as in June 2025—the attack occurred in the midst of indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington to resolve the situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear program. As a result, it dealt a severe blow to the credibility of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as well as to the credibility of diplomacy as a tool for resolving disagreements. Now, more and more countries are becoming convinced that only the possession of nuclear weapons can provide a reliable guarantee of protection against unlawful attacks on their security. And this in itself carries serious proliferation risks," the Russian minister emphasized.
"The situation in the area of arms control is also complicated. On February 5, 2026, the Russian-American Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) ceased to exist. The initiative put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the parties to the START to continue to voluntarily comply with the central quantitative limitations set forth therein was ignored by the American side," Lavrov noted.
"There remains no prospect of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty entering into force. As everyone knows and acknowledges, the main reason is that the United States has never ratified the treaty," the Russian Foreign Minister stated.
According to him, the destructive actions of the United States and its allies are increasing the risk of militarizing space and turning it into a conflict zone. "The implementation of the American 'Golden Dome' global missile defense system, which envisions the deployment of space-based interceptor strike systems by 2028, poses a significant threat to strategic stability," Lavrov explained.
"I emphasize: the challenges mentioned are perhaps the most dangerous and even fateful threats to existing regimes for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Despite the current difficulties, Russia has been and remains convinced that international peace and security can only be ensured through joint efforts, based on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interrelationship. We are ready for a substantive dialogue on this matter with all interested states," the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry concluded.
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