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WORLD NEWS Friday 19 January 2024

Russia’s foreign minister rejects a U.S. proposal to resume talks on

nuclear arms control

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV New START treaty, which
Associated Press then-presidents Barack
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s Obama and Dmitry Med-
top diplomat on Thursday vedev signed in 2010. The
dismissed a U.S. proposal to inspections were halted in
resume a dialogue on nu- 2020 because of the COV-
clear arms control, saying ID-19 pandemic and never
it’s impossible while Wash- resumed.
ington offers military sup- In February 2023, Russian
port to Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin sus-
Speaking at his annual pended Moscow’s partici-
news conference, Foreign pation in the treaty, saying
Minister Sergey Lavrov ac- Russia could not allow U.S.
cused the West of fueling inspections of its nuclear
global security risks by en- sites at a time when Wash-
couraging Ukraine to ramp ington and its NATO al-
up strikes on Russian terri- lies have openly declared
tory and warned that Mos- Moscow’s defeat in Ukraine
cow will achieve its goals in as their goal. Moscow em-
the conflict despite West- phasized, however, that it
ern assistance for Kyiv. wasn’t withdrawing from
Commenting on a U.S. pro- the pact altogether and
posal to resume contacts in would continue to respect
the sphere of nuclear arms Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, the caps on nuclear weap-
control, Lavrov described it Russia, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. Associated Press ons the treaty set.
as “unacceptable,” saying The New START, the last re-
that Moscow has put for- talk to Russia without con- revival of nuclear talks has logue, arguing that Wash- maining nuclear arms con-
ward its stance in a diplo- ditions about a future nu- been driven by a desire to ington’s position amounts trol pact between Russia
matic letter last month. He clear arms control even as resume inspections of Rus- to saying, “we have de- and the United States, limits
argued that for such talks Russia-U.S. ties are at their sia’s nuclear weapons sites. clared you an enemy, but each country to no more
to be held, Washington first lowest point since the Cold He described such U.S. de- we’re ready to talk about than 1,550 deployed nucle-
needs to revise its current War, noting “it is in neither mands as “indecent” and how we could look at your ar warheads and 700 de-
hostile policy toward Rus- of our countries’ interest cynical in view of Ukraine’s strategic nuclear arsenal ployed missiles and bomb-
sia. to embark on opening the attacks on Russian nuclear- again, that’s something dif- ers. It’s set to expire in 2026,
White House National Se- competition in the strategic capable bomber bases ferent.” and the lack of dialogue
curity Adviser Jake Sulli- nuclear forces.” during the conflict. Extensive mutual inspec- on anchoring a successor
van said in June the Biden But Lavrov charged that He mocked the U.S. offer to tions of nuclear weapons deal has worried arms con-
administration is ready to Washington’s push for the resume nuclear arms dia- sites were envisaged by the trol advocates.q

Northern Ireland sees biggest strike in years as workers walk out

over pay and political deadlock

BELFAST, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland on Thurs- the region without a func-
(AP) — Tens of thousands day to protest political tioning government.
of public sector workers deadlock that has left them Schools were closed, hos-
walked off the job across without pay increases, and pitals offered a skeleton
service and authorities
warned people not to trav-
el unless it was essential as
road-gritting crews joined
the strike in the middle of a
bitterly cold snap.
The 24-hour strike by about
150,000 teachers, nurses,
bus drivers and others is the
biggest walkout in years in
Northern Ireland, which is
part of the United Kingdom
with its own regional gov-
ernment. That government
has not functioned for al-
most two years since one
Public sector workers walk from the picket line at the Royal
Victoria Hospital to a rally at Belfast City Hall, in Belfast, Thursday, of the two power-sharing
Jan. 18, 2024, as an estimated 150,000 workers take part in parties walked out in a dis-
walkouts over pay across Northern Ireland. pute over post-Brexit trade
Associated Press rulesq