Amid an almost endless stream of press reports about Europe’s inability to properly arm itself with conventional weapons, mostly in the context of the Russian threat, the evocation of high-level talks between Washington and Moscow over nuclear weapons seems almost quaint. In any event and despite their significance, such talks won’t be happening any time soon. 

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, on Thursday dismissed a fresh American proposal to resume a dialogue on nuclear arms control, saying it’s impossible while Washington gives military support to Ukraine.

Speaking at his annual news conference, Russia’s serially grouchy top diplomat accused the West of fueling global security risks by encouraging Ukraine to ramp up strikes on Russian territory. He warned that Moscow will achieve its goals in the conflict despite Western assistance to Kyiv.

Commenting on an American proposal to resume contacts in the sphere of nuclear arms control, Mr. Lavrov batted it down as “unacceptable,” saying that Moscow put forward its stance in a diplomatic letter last month. He argued that for such talks to be held, Washington first needs to revise its current hostile policy toward Russia.

The White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in June that the Biden administration is ready to talk to Russia without conditions about a future nuclear arms control pact even as Russian-American ties are at their lowest point since the Cold War, noting “it is in neither of our countries’ interest to embark on opening the competition in the strategic nuclear forces.”

Mr. Lavrov, though, charged that Washington’s push for the revival of nuclear talks has been driven by a desire to resume inspections of Russia’s nuclear weapons sites. He called such American demands “indecent” and cynical in view of Ukraine’s attacks on Russian nuclear-capable bomber bases during the conflict.

The foreign minister mocked the offer to resume nuclear arms dialogue, arguing that Washington’s position amounts to saying, “We have declared you an enemy, but we’re ready to talk about how we could look at your strategic nuclear arsenal again, that’s something different.”

Extensive mutual inspections of nuclear weapons sites were envisaged by the New Start treaty, which Presidents Obama and Medvedev signed in 2010. The inspections were halted in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and never resumed.

In February 2023, President Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the treaty, saying Russia could not allow American inspections of its nuclear sites at a time when Washington and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty have openly declared Moscow’s defeat in Ukraine as their goal. Moscow emphasized, though, that it wasn’t withdrawing from the pact altogether and would continue to respect the caps on nuclear weapons the treaty set.

The New Start, the last remaining nuclear arms control pact between America and Russia, limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. It will expire in 2026, and the lack of dialogue on anchoring a successor deal has worried arms control advocates.

“Amid a ‘hybrid war’ waged by Washington against Russia, we aren’t seeing any basis, not only for any additional joint measures in the sphere of arms control and reduction of strategic risks, but for any discussion of strategic stability issues with the U.S.,” Mr. Lavrov said. “We firmly link such possibility to the West fully renouncing its malicious course aimed at undermining Russia’s security and interests.”

The minister said Washington’s push for restarting nuclear arms talks is rooted in a desire to “try to establish control over our nuclear arsenal and minimize nuclear risks for itself,” but added that “those risks are emerging as a result of forceful pressure on our country.” He also accused the West of blocking any talks on ending the conflict and inciting the ramping up of attacks on Russia.

“Such encouragement and the transfer of relevant weapons shows that the West doesn’t want any constructive solution,” Mr. Lavrov said. “The West is pushing toward the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, and that raises new strategic risks.”

Asked if tensions with the West over Ukraine could spiral into a showdown resembling the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis — when America and the Soviet Union found themselves on the edge of nuclear war — Mr. Lavrov sternly warned against encouraging Ukraine to strike targets in Russia. He specifically accused Britain of inciting President Zelensky to order such attacks, though he didn’t offer any proof to back the claim. “London is literally egging on Zelensky to bomb any facilities anywhere in Russia,” Mr. Lavrov said.

He reaffirmed that Russia will pursue what it calls the “special military operation” regardless of Western pressure.

On other foreign policy issues, Mr. Lavrov talked at length about growing influence of the Global South and hailed Russia-China ties, saying they are going through their “best period in history” and are stronger than a conventional military union.

Mr. Lavrov also criticized the American-led attacks on rebel Houthi targets in Yemen, saying that “the more the Americans and the British bomb, the less desire to talk the Houthis have.”