THE United States was accused today of “microphone diplomacy” after Washington said it wanted to start arms control discussions with Russia and China.

During a United Nations security council meeting on nuclear non-proliferation on Monday, secretary-general Antonio Guterres called on the US and Russia to reopen negotiations.

He said that arms reduction “must be led by the holders of the largest nuclear arsenals, the US and the Russian Federation, who must find a way back to the negotiating table to fully implement the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and agree on its successor.”

US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said her country was offering arms control talks with Russia and China “without preconditions,” provided they came to the table in “good faith.”

Beijing responded today by telling Washington to stop engaging in “microphone diplomacy.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the most urgent tasks were “for the country with the largest nuclear arsenal to fulfil its special responsibility for nuclear disarmament, further substantially reduce its nuclear arsenal and create conditions for other nuclear weapon states to join multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations.”

China and France held talks on arms control and nuclear non-proliferation on Monday. Each has a few hundred nuclear warheads, compared to thousands held by the US and Russia.

During the meeting, Russian deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky branded the US move “yet another propaganda stunt by Washington.”

President Vladimir Putin said later that US officials “have stated publicly more than once that they intend to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia,” dismissing the appeal for talks.

Britain’s Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) called for arms talks to be “resumed urgently.”

General secretary Kate Hudson said talks must replace the “new nuclear arms race that is threatening us all.”

Tricontinental Institute for Social Research director Vijay Prashad said: “The US and its allies account for 75 per cent of world military spending. That’s far above Russia and China.  

“Western military spending is out of control.

“The suggestion of ‘no preconditions’ means no wider discussion about security concerns, the future of Europe and the role of Nato.

“Bilateral discussions without a sense of Europe’s build-up and the support for Ukraine will not provide the necessary atmosphere for Russia to feel that the table is sincere.”