“Russia is currently in possession of the largest and most diverse nuclear arsenal of any nation,” Cotton said in his prepared testimony for a hearing before the committee.
Beyond its traditional strategic triad, Russia is both increasing and modernizing its nuclear options, Cotton said.
“These include nuclear-capable hypersonic systems such as the Tsirkon land attack cruise missile and the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, the last of which Russia has employed frequently against Ukraine in a conventional role,” he said. “These hypersonic systems add diversity and flexibility to Russia’s nuclear arsenal and complement its stockpile of approximately 2,000 theater nuclear weapons that do not fall under New START limits.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in January said Moscow sees no possibility for a strategic dialogue with Washington at the moment. The West must stop anti-Russian rhetoric to create a possibility for such talks, he said.
Russia does not reject the possibility of negotiations, as well as "the possibility of a political and diplomatic settlement" on the issue of strategic stability, but Washington wants to resume control over the Russian nuclear arsenal under the guise of reciprocity, Lavrov said.