Russia not coming to nuclear summit
MOSCOW – Russia said Wednesday it decided not to engage in preparations for a nuclear summit in Washington, arguing it serves little purpose and gives too much weight to the United States.
The statement was the first confirmation by Moscow it intends to snub the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. U.S. and European officials earlier told the Associated Press Moscow refused to participate.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in the statement the three previous such summits largely fulfilled the set goals and the new meeting could add little value. It also argued the United States tried to assume the role of “the main and privileged player” at the forum.
The ministry claimed the United States along with the Netherlands and South Korea, which hosted the previous summits, would play a dominant role in preparing the summit’s documents, something Moscow considers unfair. It also argued the final documents of the Washington summit would set the agenda for international organizations, an approach Russia considers wrong.
“We believe it’s unacceptable to create a precedent of such outside interference into planning the work of international organizations, which have a more solid expertise and rely on democratic procedures,” the statement said.
The ministry said Moscow will focus instead on expanding cooperation within the International Atomic Energy Agency, a U.N. nuclear watchdog.
It said Russia informed the United States about its decision in mid-October, adding it saw the leaks in the media as an attempt to force Moscow to change its stance.
The relations between Moscow and Washington are at their lowest point since Cold War times over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for insurgents in eastern Ukraine.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that Russia informed the U.S. that it no longer planned to participate in the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit.
She added, however, that “the United States and Russia continue to work productively on nuclear security issues through other channels,” pointing at their participation in Iran nuclear talks and joint efforts to help eliminate chemical weapons in Syria.
Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.