US and Russia hold 'intensive & substantive' arms control talks in Geneva

The United States and the Russian Federation held "intensive and substantive" talks at the US-Russia bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue in Geneva on Thursday, 30 September, the US Department of State, and the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement. An interagency delegation from both Moscow and Washington convened for the second meeting after the US President Biden and Russian President Putin committed to relaunching bilateral strategic stability dialogue focused on “ensuring predictability,” combating the risks of nuclear war and setting the stage “for future arms control and risk reduction measures” during their meeting in June. 

The two countries agreed to initiate an “integrated,” “deliberate,” and “robust” process after more than a decade of deadlock on nuclear arms control talks. The US delegation for the bilateral dialogue was led by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman, and the Russian delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. 

“The discussion was intensive and substantive,” said the US Department of State. 

Russia, US to form two 'interagency expert working groups'

At the bilateral meeting, the Russian and US delegations “agreed to form two interagency expert working groups – the Working Group on Principles and Objectives for Future Arms Control, and the Working Group on Capabilities and Actions with Strategic Effects” to frame potential accords to limit the acquisition of nuclear weapons and draft fresh frameworks for arms control, as well as ramp-up capabilities and actions with strategic effects. The two countries agreed to commence their meetings, expected to be followed by a third plenary meeting soon. 

No dates were announced for the third meeting as of yet. Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, both of whose nations are in possession of nearly 90 percent of the global nuclear armament had announced at a meeting in Geneva in June that the two countries will hold an official bilateral dialogue on strategic stability to "lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures.” It was the first time in more than a year that the leaders of the two countries met to discuss arms control despite frictions and tensions over a range of other issues. Biden had, at the time, said at a post-summit press conference in Washington, “We’ll find out within the next six months to a year whether or not we actually have a strategic dialogue that matters.”