US urges new three-way nuclear deal with Russia and China

The United States on Friday urged three-way talks with Russia and China to set new limits on nuclear weapons, after the last treaty between top nuclear powers Washington and Moscow expired.

Thomas DiNanno, the under secretary of state for arms control, told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva that "serial Russian violations, growth of more worldwide stockpiles and flaws in New Start's design and implementation gives the United States a clear imperative to call for a new architecture that addresses the threats of today, not those of a bygone era".

"As we sit here today, China's entire nuclear arsenal has no limits, no transparency, no declarations, had no controls," he said, adding that "the next era of arms control can and should continue with clear focus, but it will require the participation of more than just Russia at the negotiating table".

The Kremlin had said Friday that Russia and the United States agreed during talks in Abu Dhabi that it was necessary to renew nuclear talks.

"There is an understanding, and this was also discussed in Abu Dhabi, that both sides will act responsibly and will recognize the need to start negotiations on this issue as soon as possible," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, after the New START agreement lapsed earlier this week.

Russian ambassador Gennady Gatilov said that other nuclear-armed states such as France and Britain should be included in any new nuclear talks with the United States.

Russia "would be involved in such a process if the United Kingdom and France are also involved, who are military allies of the United States in NATO, which has declared itself a nuclear alliance," Gatilov told the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

China had said Thursday that it would not join nuclear talks "at this stage".

"China's nuclear capabilities are of a totally different scale as those of the United States and Russia (and) will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage," Beijing's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference.