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Transcript/ScriptUS-RUSSIA NUCLEAR
HEADLINE: US Calls on Russia to Allow Nuclear Inspections
TEASER: The United States is urging Russia to allow inspections of its nuclear warhead facilities as mandated under the New START Treaty.
PUBLISHED AT: Wednesday, 02/01/2023 at 10:44
BYLINE: Cindy Saine
CONTRIBUTOR: Harry Knyagnitsky
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
VIDEO EDITOR: Barry Unger
SCRIPT EDITORS: Bowman, Jepsen
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Russian Service, AP, Reuters, AFP
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:42
VID APPROVED BY: Salem Solomon
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[ The United States says Russia is violating the New START Treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the two countries. In August, Russia suspended inspections of its nuclear facilities as required by the treaty. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.]]
((Video: AFP V000_337Q7GR SLUG 1ST - IMAGES - US - NUCLEAR - POLITICS – CONFLICT Creation date 1/24/202: unveiling of the moving of the hands on the “Doomsday Clock”))
((NARRATOR))
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of their symbolic clock last week to show how close humanity is to self-annihilation. They cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, nuclear tensions and climate change as their main reasons.
((Video: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2023%3Anewsml_WD665001022023RP1&share=true" Moscow tower, and Russian star, Kremlin B-roll))
((NARRATOR))
The State Department says Russia is violating the New START treaty, which puts a cap on the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the U.S. and Russia can deploy and the deployment of land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.
The U.S. says Russia is not allowing inspections of its facilities as required by the treaty. But State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel says Russia can easily get back in compliance.
((Video: Patel SOT: 00;52;11;29 MRT PATEL Russia refusing inspections))
((Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson, State Department))
"There is a clear path for returning. All Russia needs to do is to allow inspection activities on its territory, just as it did for years under the New START treaty and meet in a session of the bilateral consultative commission. There is nothing preventing Russian inspectors from traveling to the United States and conducting inspections.”
((Video - Reuters: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2023%3Anewsml_WD665001022023RP1&share=true: 14. PEOPLE WALKING NEAR A RIVER WITH KREMLIN VIEW IN BACKGROUND, 17. KREMLIN VIEW, over to Still photo of Peskov and then over to:13. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KREMLIN SPOKESMAN, DMITRY PESKOV, SAYING (PLEASE NOTE SOUNDBITE OVERLAYS SHOT 12))
((NARRATOR))
Russian officials have blamed the U.S., noting Washington’s support of Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s invasion, and suspended U.S. inspections of Russian nuclear facilities in August. But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia still wants to hold on to the New START treaty.
((Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman)) ((Male, in Russian))
“No matter how sad the situation is at the present time, some allusions must stay. We consider the continuation of this treaty [NEW START TREATY] very important, it is at least not viable, but hypothetically viable. Otherwise, we see that the United States has actually destroyed the legal framework.”
((Video: AP Video ID 4416327 -B-roll of Putin))
((NARRATOR))
One analyst told VOA there are a couple of reasons why Moscow may be violating the treaty. Richard Weitz is director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute.
((Video: https://app.frame.io/player/d7b0e18a-32dd-41a9-b4bf-95784af42beb
TC: 3:34-4:02))
((Richard Weitz, Hudson Institute)) ((Mandatory cg: Zoom Courtesy))
“At best, Russia is trying to pry some more concessions from the U.S., perhaps get more inspections of U.S. systems. At worst, Russia is holding the strategic arms control process hostage to the Russia-Ukraine war.”
((Video: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2023%3Anewsml_WD401020012023RP1&share=true: RECENT AND FILE FOOTAGE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND WEAPONS DRILLS))
((NARRATOR))
Russia has also refused to rule out using a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, which has fed global fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D. C.
Embargo DateFebruary 1, 2023 23:53 EST
Byline((Cindy Saine, VOA News.))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
