NATO urges Russia to respect nuclear pact with the US

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO is calling on Russia to respect the only treaty it has with the United States to keep a lid on nuclear weapons expansion. The 30-nation security organization is urging Moscow to allow on-the-ground inspections of military sites to resume. The New START Treaty was signed by Russia and the U.S. in 2010. It caps at 1,550 the number of long-range nuclear warheads they can deploy and allows short-notice inspections of each other’s nuclear facilities. Russia suspended cooperation under the pact last August over US support for Ukraine. In a statement Friday, NATO envoys urged “Russia to fulfil its obligations under the Treaty by facilitating New START inspections on Russian territory” and by holding consultations under the pact.