US renews Russia arms deal, slams Myanmar 'coup'

The United States has joined Russia in extending the two countries' last remaining treaty limiting their stockpiles of nuclear weapons as the pact was set to expire. The State Dept. is also calling the military takeover in Myanmar a "coup." (Feb. 3)

Video Transcript

NED PRICE: Extending the New Start treaty for five years ensures we have verifiable limits on Russian ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers through February 4, 2026, avoiding a potentially unconstrained nuclear arms race. New Start limits every Russian nuclear warhead that is loaded onto an ICBM missile that can reach the United States in approximately 30 minutes. The United States will use the time provided by a five-year extension of the New Start treaty to pursue with the Russian Federation, in consultation with Congress and US allies and partners, arms control that addresses all Russian nuclear weapons.

As we engage Russia in ways that advance American interests, as I just said, we can also remain clear-eyed about the challenges that Russia poses. Even as we work with Russia to advance US interests, so too will we hold Russia to account for its reckless and its adversarial behavior.

We are aware of reports that state council Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint have been charged with crimes. And the National League for Democracy members of parliament have been ordered to vacate Naypyitaw. We are disturbed, of course, by these reports. We call on the military to immediately release them all and all detained civilian and political leaders, journalists, and detained human rights activists and to restore the democratically elected government to power. As President Biden has said, the military's seizure is a direct assault on the country's transition to democracy and the rule of law.

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