Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and New US Ambassador Discuss Arms Control

First Woman Nominated as U.S. Ambassador to Russia

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, reportedly met with Lynne Tracy, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Russia, on the 31st (local time) to discuss arms control issues.

Lynn Tracy, U.S. Ambassador to Russia from Armenia. Photo by Yonhap News

According to major local media such as Russia's Sputnik and TASS news agencies on the day, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated, "Deputy Minister Ryabkov met with Ambassador Tracy, and during the conversation, several urgent issues related to arms control were discussed." The meeting took place for two consecutive days following the credential presentation ceremony the previous day.

After the meeting the day before, the U.S. Embassy stated, "Ambassador Tracy will pay special attention to maintaining dialogue despite tensions between the two countries." In contrast, Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov reportedly said, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, "The current confrontational stance of the United States is unproductive, and Russia does not want interference in its internal affairs."

In particular, Deputy Minister Ryabkov warned in an interview with domestic media that the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), a nuclear arms control treaty with the U.S., could end without a replacement treaty after its expiration in 2026. New START is an agreement signed by the U.S. and Russia in 2010. It includes provisions to reduce the number of nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles to certain limits and to conduct periodic inspections of each other's nuclear facilities. The treaty was extended once in the past and is valid until February 2026. However, no further extension negotiations have taken place since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ambassador Tracy was nominated in September as the first female U.S. Ambassador to Russia. She submitted her credentials to the Russian government the day before and officially began her duties. Ambassador Tracy is known as a Russia expert, having served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Russia and as a senior advisor on Russia at the State Department.