Russia offers to discuss US allegations of secret nuclear tests, aiming to ease tensions between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.
MOSCOW: Russia has offered to discuss with the United States allegations that Moscow conducted secret underground nuclear tests.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated Russia’s readiness to address Washington’s suspicions during a televised interview on Tuesday.
“We are ready to discuss the suspicions raised by our American colleagues regarding the possibility that we might be secretly doing something deep underground,” Lavrov told state media.
The offer comes after US President Donald Trump accused both Russia and China of secretly testing nuclear weapons.
Trump made the allegations in a CBS News interview earlier this month before shelving a proposed summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine.
Russia acknowledges testing nuclear-capable delivery systems but denies conducting secret nuclear detonations.
Lavrov suggested the United States could verify Russia’s compliance through the global seismic monitoring system.
“Other tests, both subcritical, or those without a chain nuclear reaction, and carrier tests, have never been prohibited,” he added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Moscow has received no specific details about the US allegations.
“So far, no explanations have been provided by our American counterparts,” Peskov told reporters.
Russia and the United States collectively possess approximately 8,000 deployed and stored nuclear warheads.
This represents about 85% of the world’s total nuclear arsenal according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Lavrov also addressed speculation about his relationship with Putin following his two-week absence from public view.
The Kremlin had repeatedly denied reports of a falling out between the foreign minister and president.
Lavrov described his recent phone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as polite and constructive.
“We spoke well, politely, without any breakdown,” he stated regarding the call.
The foreign minister confirmed no further progress has occurred regarding the proposed Budapest summit since that conversation.
Lavrov separated the nuclear testing allegations from the cancelled presidential meeting.
“I would not mix the topic of nuclear tests with the topic of the Budapest summit,” he clarified.
Moscow remains open to a potential future meeting between Putin and Trump despite recent tensions. – AFP
