The United States said on Tuesday that Russia is not fulfilling its obligations under the New Nuclear Weapons Treaty to allow inspection activities on its territory, Reuters reported.

Tensions between the United States and RussiaPhoto: Volodymyr Horbovyi/Alami/Alami/Profimedia

“Russia’s refusal to facilitate inspection activities prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and jeopardizes the viability of US-Russian nuclear arms control,” a State Department spokesman said.

The spokesman added that Russia has a “clear path” to return to compliance by allowing inspection activities, and that Washington remains ready to work with Russia to fully implement the treaty.

Talks between Moscow and Washington on resuming inspections under the NewSTART Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty were due to take place in Egypt in November, but Russia postponed them and neither side has set a new date for the meeting.

In November, Russia pulled out of nuclear arms control talks with U.S. officials, and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the United States of “the highest level of toxicity and hostility” and a “pathological desire to harm our country.”

“In all areas, we see the highest level of toxicity and hostility from Washington. As part of the hybrid and all-out war being waged against us, almost every US move toward Russia is driven by a pathological desire to harm our country whenever possible,” she said.

The United States then accused Russia of “unilaterally” postponing meetings to discuss the only nuclear weapons treaty still in place between the two countries.