Russia Rejects U.S. Proposal to Renegotiate Ballistic Missile Treaty

The Russian government said Wednesday that it has turned down Washington’s proposal to amend the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in exchange for U.S. help in completing a major radar site.

The U.S. has offered to help finish a radar installation near Irkutsk, Siberia, in exchange for renegotiating the ABM pact to allow both nations to deploy limited national missile defense systems.

Vladimir O. Rakhmanin, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Moscow was against “bargaining” on the pact.

Col. Gen. Valery Manilov, first deputy chief of staff of Russia’s armed forces, went a step further, saying that “there can’t be any compromise on the treaty.”

Washington wants to amend the treaty, which was key to starting arms control pacts during the Cold War, so that both countries can defend themselves against nuclear attacks by “rogue” nations such as North Korea. The U.S. argues that a national missile defense system wouldn’t compromise the treaty: Such a system would only be capable of shooting down a few missiles rather than providing a shield against a massive missile attack of the kind Russia is capable of launching.

But Russian officials have not been impressed by that argument, and they warn that the United States would upset strategic stability and could trigger a new arms race if the pact is altered.

A U.S. delegation is to begin another round of talks in Moscow today. The topics will include the ABM treaty and prospects of additional weapons cuts.