The government also said it was terminating for the same reasons an agreement between its nuclear corporation Rosatom and the U.S. Department of Energy on feasibility studies into conversion of Russian research reactors to low enriched uranium.

On Monday, President Vladimir Putin suspended a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, signaling he is willing to use nuclear disarmament as a new bargaining chip in disputes with the United States over Ukraine and Syria.

"The regular renewal of sanctions against Russia, which include the suspension of Russian-American cooperation in the field of nuclear energy demands the adoption of countermeasures against the U.S. side," the Russian government said on its website.

The agreement on co-operation in nuclear- and energy-related scientific research, signed in 2013, provided the legal framework necessary to expand work between U.S. and Russian nuclear research laboratories and institutes in nuclear technology and nonproliferation, among others.

The uranium agreement, signed in 2010, provided for feasibility studies into the conversion of six Russian research reactors from dangerous highly enriched uranium to more secure low enriched uranium.

The West imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014, followed by a pro-Russian insurrection in the east of the country. The breakdown of a ceasefire in Syria, where Russia backs government forces and the West supports rebel groups, has added to tensions. </s> MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia further curtailed its cooperation with the United States in nuclear energy on Wednesday, suspending a research agreement and terminating one on uranium conversion, two days after the Kremlin shelved a plutonium pact with Washington.

The Russian government said that as counter-measures to the U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine, it was putting aside a nuclear and energy-related research pact with the United States.

It also said it was terminating for the same reasons an agreement between its nuclear corporation Rosatom and the U.S. Department of Energy on feasibility studies into conversion of Russian research reactors to low-enriched uranium.

On Monday, President Vladimir Putin suspended a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons grade plutonium, signaling he is willing to use nuclear disarmament as a new bargaining chip in disputes with the United States over Ukraine and Syria.

“The regular renewal of sanctions against Russia, which include the suspension of Russian-American cooperation in the field of nuclear energy demands the adoption of countermeasures against the U.S. side,” the Russian government said on its website.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman said the United States had not received an official notification from Russia although he had seen media reports of the suspension of the research agreement.

“If they’re accurate, we would regret the Russian decision to unilaterally suspend cooperation on what we believe is a very important issue that’s in the interest of both of our countries,” spokesman Mark Toner said at a daily news briefing.

“UNFRIENDLY ACTS”

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the decisions were taken in response to “unfriendly acts” by Washington. They came two days after Washington said it was suspending talks with Russia on trying to end the violence in Syria.

The agreement on co-operation in nuclear and energy-related scientific research, signed in 2013, provided the legal framework necessary to expand work between U.S. and Russian nuclear research laboratories and institutes in nuclear technology and nonproliferation, among others.

The uranium agreement, signed in 2010, provided for feasibility studies into the conversion of six Russian research reactors from dangerous highly enriched uranium to more secure low enriched uranium.

“We can no longer trust Washington in such a sensitive area as the modernization and security of Russian nuclear facilities,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

It said that should Russia decide on the feasibility of the conversion of any research reactors to low-enriched uranium, it will carry the work itself. But it warned the conversion may not be “an end in itself.”

“In some cases, including in the production of medical isotopes, highly enriched uranium is the most effective and renouncing its would be technically and economically inexpedient,” the ministry said.

The West imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in 2014, followed by a pro-Russian insurrection in the east of the country. The breakdown of a ceasefire in Syria, where Russia backs government forces and the West supports rebel groups, has added to tensions. </s> Russia has further curtailed its cooperation with the United States on nuclear energy by suspending a research agreement and terminating another on uranium conversion, two days after the Kremlin shelved a plutonium pact with Washington.

The Russian government said Wednesday that as a countermeasure to the U.S. sanctions imposed on it over events in Ukraine, it was putting aside a nuclear and energy-related research pact with the United States.

It also announced the termination, for the same reasons, of an agreement between its nuclear corporation, Rosatom, and the U.S. Department of Energy on feasibility studies into conversion of Russian research reactors to low-enriched uranium.

On Monday, President Vladimir Putin suspended a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, a signal that he is willing to use nuclear disarmament as a new bargaining chip in disputes with the United States over Ukraine and Syria.

“The regular renewal of sanctions against Russia, which include the suspension of Russian-American cooperation in the field of nuclear energy demands the adoption of countermeasures against the U.S. side,” the Russian government said on its website.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman said the United States had not received an official notification from Russia although he had seen media reports of the suspension of the research agreement.

“If they’re accurate, we would regret the Russian decision to unilaterally suspend cooperation on what we believe is a very important issue that’s in the interest of both of our countries,” spokesman Mark Toner said at a daily news briefing.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the decisions were taken in response to “unfriendly acts” by Washington. They came two days after Washington said it was suspending talks with Russia on trying to end the violence in Syria.

The agreement on co-operation in nuclear and energy-related scientific research, signed in 2013, provided the legal framework necessary to expand work between U.S. and Russian nuclear research laboratories and institutes in nuclear technology and nonproliferation, among others.

The uranium agreement, signed in 2010, provided for feasibility studies into the conversion of six Russian research reactors from dangerous highly enriched uranium to more secure low-enriched uranium.

“We can no longer trust Washington in such a sensitive area as the modernization and security of Russian nuclear facilities,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

It said that should Russia decide on the feasibility of the conversion of any research reactors to low-enriched uranium, it will carry out the work itself. But it warned the conversion may not be “an end in itself.”

“In some cases, including in the production of medical isotopes, highly enriched uranium is the most effective and renouncing it would be technically and economically inexpedient,” the ministry said.

The West imposed economic sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014, followed by a pro-Russian insurrection in the east of the country. The breakdown of a cease-fire in Syria, where Russia backs government forces and the West supports rebel groups, has added to tensions. </s> The Russian government said on Wednesday that it was suspending an agreement with the United States on co-operation in nuclear- and energy-related scientific research.

The government also said on its website that an agreement between the state nuclear energy firm Rosatom and the U.S. Department of Energy on feasibility studies into conversion of Russian research reactors from highly-enriched to low enriched uranium had been terminated. </s> President Vladimir Putin has suspended a Russia-U.S. deal on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium.

A decree Putin issued Monday cited “unfriendly actions” and the United States’ inability to fulfil its obligations under the 2000 deal as reasons for the move.

Under the agreement, Russia and the U.S. each were to dispose of 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium, enough material for about 17,000 nuclear warheads.

When it was signed, the deal was touted as an example of successful U.S.-Russian co-operation on nuclear non-proliferation. However, Putin has accused the U.S. of failing to meet its end of the deal.

Construction of a U.S. plant where weapons-grade plutonium would be turned into commercial nuclear reactor fuel has been years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered a halt to an agreement with the United States on weapons-grade plutonium disposal in retaliation for Washington’s “unfriendly actions” amid a wider standoff with the West.

The deal, signed in 2000, was meant to allow both nuclear powers to dispose of plutonium from their defense programmes, a move seen as a key step in the disarmament process.

The two countries recommitted to the agreement in 2010.

Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the move was a “necessary” response to hostile steps from the US, including sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and the bolstering of NATO’s forces near Russia’s border.

“The decision that has been taken by us is a signal to Washington,” Lavrov said in a statement.

“It will not work out if they try to talk to Russia from a position of strength with the language of sanctions and ultimatums, but still want to maintain selective cooperation when it benefits the US.”

The suspension is symbolic of the breakdown in nuclear non-proliferation cooperation as ties between the two sides have hit their lowest point since the Cold War, but the Kremlin suggested it could review the move if Washington changed tack.

Putin charged earlier this year that the United States was not honouring the deal by disposing of plutonium in a way that allowed it to retain its defence capabilities.

The decree published Monday states that Russia is pulling out of the agreement “due to a drastic change in circumstances, the appearance of a threat to strategic stability due to unfriendly actions of the United States toward Russia”.

It claimed that Washington was “unable” to carry out the terms of the agreement and that Moscow “must take urgent measures to defend Russian security”.

“It’s a symbolic gesture that demonstrates that the sides no longer cooperate in this sphere,” said independent military expert Alexander Golts, adding that it was not the first agreement to be suspended in the non-proliferation sphere.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Washington has not honoured the deal and “Russia no longer thinks it possible to carry out the conditions of the agreement alone” due to “general tension” between the two countries.

A bill submitted by Putin to parliament on Monday, which asked lawmakers to support the agreement’s suspension, indicated that some quid pro quo could still keep the deal alive.

The bill said that the agreement could be reinstated if Washington moves US forces out of countries that became NATO members after 2000, ends “all sanctions” and compensates Moscow for the financial losses resulting from them.

Lawmakers can vote on the bill as early as Wednesday, when the State Duma convenes for the first time since being elected last month in a vote that saw the ruling United Russia party sweep some three quarters of the seats.

The US-Russian Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement obliges Moscow and Washington to dispose of no less than 34 tonnes of weapon-grade plutonium by irradiating it or transforming it into so-called MOX (mixed oxide) fuel.

The building of a MOX fuel reprocessing plant was opposed in the United States in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan over safety fears and high cost of the project, which is already billions of dollars over budget.

US energy officials have pushed for using another method of disposal, calling for plutonium to be mixed with other substances and stored underground, but Moscow argues that any method to dilute plutonium is reversable.

Russia is locked in its worst standoff with the West since the Cold War over its 2014 annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine, and the US has accused Putin of “nuclear sabre-rattling”.

Tensions between the two sides have also recently ratcheted up over the conflict in Syria, where Russia is flying a bombing campaign in support of US-foe Bashar al-Assad. </s> MOSCOW, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday suspended a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, signalling he is willing to use nuclear disarmament as a new bargaining chip in disputes with the United States over Ukraine and Syria.

Starting in the last years of the Cold War, Russia and the United States signed a series of accords to reduce the size of their nuclear arsenals, agreements that have so far survived intact despite a souring of U.S.-Russian relations under Putin.

But on Monday, Putin issued a decree suspending an agreement, concluded in 2000, which bound the two sides to dispose of surplus plutonium originally intended for use in nuclear weapons.

The Kremlin said it was taking that action in response to unfriendly acts by Washington.
• Pact is on disposing of surplus plutonium
• Disarmament now drawn in to U.S.-Russia rows

The plutonium accord is not the cornerstone of post Cold War U.S.-Russia disarmament, and the practical implications from the suspension will be limited. But the suspension, and the linkage to disagreements on other issues, carries powerful symbolism.

"Putin's decree could signal that other nuclear disarmament cooperation deals between the United States and Russia are at risk of being undermined," Stratfor, a U.S.-based consultancy, said in a commentary.

"The decision is likely an attempt to convey to Washington the price of cutting off dialogue on Syria and other issues."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last week warned that Washington could halt diplomacy with Russia over the conflict in Syria unless Russia took immediate steps to stop the violence there.

Western diplomats say an end to the Syria talks would leave Moscow without a way to disentangle itself from its military operation in Syria. The operation was intended to last a few months but has now just entered its second year.

As well as issuing the decree ordering the suspension of the plutonium cleanup deal, Putin submitted a draft law on the suspension to parliament.

That draft linked the suspension to a laundry list of Russian grievances towards the United States.

It said conditions for resuming work under the plutonium deal included Washington lifting sanctions imposed on Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict, paying compensation to Moscow for the sanctions, and reducing the U.S. military presence in eastern Europe to the levels they were 16 years ago.

Any of those steps would involve a complete U-turn in long-standing U.S. policy.

"The Obama administration has done everything in its power to destroy the atmosphere of trust which could have encouraged cooperation," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on the treaty's suspension.

"The step Russia has been forced to take is not intended to worsen relations with the United States. We want Washington to understand that you cannot, with one hand, introduce sanctions against us where it can be done fairly painlessly for the Americans, and with the other hand continue selective cooperation in areas where it suits them."

The 2010 agreement, signed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, called on each side to dispose of 34 tons of plutonium by burning it in nuclear reactors.

Clinton said at the time that there was enough of the material to make almost 17,000 nuclear weapons. Both sides back then viewed the deal as a sign of increased cooperation between the two former Cold War adversaries.

Russian officials alleged on Monday that Washington had failed to honour its side of the agreement. The Kremlin decree stated that, despite the suspension, Russia's surplus weapons-grade plutonium would not be put to military use. </s> Workers load uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) civilian fuel made from American military plutonium on a boat heading to the US, at the port in Cherbourg, northern France, on March 22, 2005 (AFP Photo/Mychele Daniau)

Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered a halt to an agreement with the United States on plutonium disposal, citing Washington's "unfriendly actions".

The deal, signed in 2000, was meant to allow both nuclear powers to dispose of weapons-grade plutonium from their defence programmes, a move seen as a key step in the disarmament process.

The two countries recommitted to the deal in 2010.

The Kremlin indicated Monday that it would stick to the agreement if Washington lifts sanctions and ends other policies seen as unfriendly to Moscow.

Putin charged earlier this year that the United States was not honouring the deal by disposing of plutonium in a way that allowed it to retain its defence capabilities.

The suspension is symbolic of the breakdown in nuclear nonproliferation cooperation, an expert said.

The decree published Monday states that Russia is pulling out of the agreement "due to a drastic change in circumstances, the appearance of a threat to strategic stability due to unfriendly actions of the United States toward Russia".

It claimed that Washington was "unable" to carry out the terms of the agreement and that Moscow "must take urgent measures to defend Russian security".

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Washington has not honoured the agreement and "Russia no longer thinks it possible to carry out the conditions of the agreement alone" due to "general tension" between the two countries.

"It's a symbolic gesture that demonstrates that the sides no longer cooperate in this sphere," said independent military expert Alexander Golts, adding that it was not the first agreement to be suspended in the non-proliferation sphere.

A bill submitted by Putin to parliament, which asked lawmakers to support the agreement's suspension, indicated that some quid pro quo could still keep the deal alive.

The bill said that the agreement could be reinstated if Washington moves US forces out of countries that became NATO members after 2000, ends "all sanctions" and compensates Moscow for the financial losses resulting from them.

Lawmakers can vote on the bill as early as Wednesday, when the State Duma convenes for the first time since being elected last month in a vote that saw the ruling United Russia party sweep some three quarters of the seats.

The US-Russian Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement obliges Moscow and Washington to dispose of no less than 34 tonnes of weapon-grade plutonium by irradiating it or transforming it into so-called MOX (mixed oxide) fuel.

The building of a MOX fuel reprocessing plant was opposed in the United States in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan over safety fears and high cost of the project, which is already billions of dollars over budget.

US energy officials have pushed for using another method of disposal, calling for plutonium to be mixed with other substances and stored underground, but Moscow argues that any method to dilute plutonium is reversable.

Russia is locked in its worst standoff with the West since the Cold War over its 2014 annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine. </s> Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday suspended an agreement with the US for disposal of weapons-grade plutonium because of “unfriendly” acts by Washington, the Kremlin said.

A Kremlin spokesman said Mr Putin had signed a decree suspending the 2010 agreement under which each side committed to destroying tonnes of weapons-grade material because Washington had not been implementing it and because of current tensions in relations.

Russia wants the US to cancel all sanctions and pay compensation for the damage they have caused if Moscow is to resume the agreement, according to a draft law submitted by Mr Putin on Monday.

Russia also named as conditions for resuming the plutonium accord that Washington repeal its “Magnitsky Act” and that it reduce its military infrastructure and troops in countries that joined the Nato military alliance after September 1st, 2000, according to a copy of the draft law posted on the website of Russia’s lower house of parliament.

The two former Cold War adversaries are at loggerheads over a raft of issues including Ukraine, where Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and is supporting pro-Moscow separatists, and the conflict in Syria.

The plutonium-disposal deal, signed in 2000 but which did not come into force until 2010, was being suspended due to “the emergence of a threat to strategic stability and as a result of unfriendly actions by the United States of America towards the Russian Federation”, the preamble to the decree said.

It also said that Washington had failed “to ensure the implementation of its obligations to utilise surplus weapons-grade plutonium”.

The 2010 agreement, signed by Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and then-US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, called on each side to dispose of 34 tonnes of plutonium by burning in nuclear reactors.

Mrs Clinton said at the time that that was enough material to make almost 17,000 nuclear weapons. Both sides then viewed the deal as a sign of increased co-operation between the two former adversaries towards a joint goal of nuclear non-proliferation.

“For quite a long time, Russia had been implementing it [the agreement] unilaterally,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with journalists on Monday.

“Now, taking into account this tension [in relations] in general . . . the Russian side considers it impossible for the current state of things to last any longer.”

Washington led a campaign to impose Western economic sanctions on Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis.

Relations soured further last year when Russia deployed its warplanes to an air base in Syria to provide support for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad‘s troops fighting rebels.

The rift has widened in recent weeks, with Moscow accusing Washington of not delivering on its promise to separate units of moderate Syrian opposition from “terrorists”.

Huge cost overruns have also long been another threat to the project originally estimated at a total of $5.7 billion (€5.07bn).
Russian President Vladimir Putin suspends the 2013 nuclear agreement with the United States concerning uranium research.