Russia: "Five Nuclear-Armed Countries to Hold Meeting Soon in New York, USA"

"Russia, USA, China, UK, and France Regular Meeting"

Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, announced on the 10th (local time) that the five nuclear-armed countries will meet in New York, USA, in a few weeks.

Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia [Photo by Yonhap News]

According to reports from TASS and RIA Novosti, Deputy Minister Ryabkov said, "A regular meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council that possess nuclear weapons?Russia, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and France?will be held separately from the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in a few weeks."

Deputy Minister Ryabkov stated, "I hope the three Western countries will act at least a bit more constructively," adding, "Since the United States and its European allies are pursuing a hostile and anti-Russian line, there is currently no basis to negotiate strategic stability related to nuclear weapons with the United States."

He emphasized, "Unless this changes, no matter who becomes the next U.S. president, negotiations on strategic stability or the extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty cannot take place."

Deputy Minister Ryabkov also said, "The statement by former U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia, China, and the United States almost reached a complete denuclearization agreement is not true," and added, "As is well known, the Trump administration's attempt to bring Chinese representatives to the same negotiating table as us failed, so that does not correspond to reality."