Moscow Suspends Russia-US Deal on Plutonium Disposal over Hostile Actions of United States

© Sputnik/ Vladimir Astapkovic

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree, suspending a post-Cold War deal with the United States on disposal of plutonium from decommissioned nuclear warheads. The decision was made because of “the hostile actions of the US” against Russia and the  US’ failure to abide the terms of the deal.

The signed decree says that “the radical change in the environment, a threat to strategic stability posed by the hostile actions of the US against Russia, and the inability of the US to deliver on the obligation to dispose of excessive weapons plutonium under international treaties, as well as the need to take swift action to defend Russian security” is the reason of the move.

Moscow added that the Russian fissile material would not be used for any military purpose. Earlier Russia had already expressed its dissatisfaction with how the US actions over the deal and noted that the US was violating its terms.

“We signed an agreement that the plutonium will be processed in a certain way, for which facilities would be purpose-built,” Putin said at the time. “We have met our commitments, and constructed the necessary facilities. The US has not.”

The US-Russia deal, which regulates how the states are to dispose of plutonium from nuclear warheads decommissioned as part of the parallel reduction of the Cold War arsenals, was signed in 2000. According to the deal, each conutry was set to dispose of over 34 tons of fissile material, turning it into the MOX fuel and then burning it in nuclear reactors.

Such a decision indicates the ongoing deteoration of the US-Russia relations amid escaltions in Syria and other crisis zones around the world.