Financial Times – Felicia Schwartz and Max Seddon / US says Russia is not complying with New Start nuclear arms treaty

• The US has determined Russia is not complying with its obligations under the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the powers, officials said on Tuesday. 
• In a report sent to Congress, the US state department said Russia violated the New Start treaty by failing to allow required inspections and refusing to participate in compliance meetings. 
• “Russia’s refusal to facilitate inspection activities prevents the US from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of US-Russian nuclear arms control,” a US state department official said.
• Last week top Republicans wrote to Biden administration officials urging them to make a determination about Russia’s compliance, citing concerns about Moscow’s decision last year to suspend inspections and cancel participation in consultations required by the treaty.

Politico – Matt Honeycombe-Foster / UK says ‘not practical’ to give Ukraine British fighter jets

• The British government has ruled out sending fighter jets to Ukraine for the time being. Kyiv has in recent days stepped up its requests for jets after European allies agreed to supply battle tanks to aid the fight against Russian forces.
• But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson told reporters Tuesday that the U.K.’s F35 fighter jets are “extremely sophisticated and take months to learn how to fly.”
• And he added: “Given that, we believe it is not practical to send those jets into Ukraine. Obviously we will continue to provide and accelerate our military support to Ukraine and to listen carefully to their requests.”
• Pressed on whether there was anything the U.K. could do to more quickly prepare F35s for Ukrainian use or to encourage other nations to supply Kyiv with fighter jets, the spokesperson said it is “length of time it takes to learn how to use what are very complex pieces of equipment that is the limiting factor in this case.”
• Financial Times – The editorial board / NATO’s weapons stockpiles need urgent replenishment

Financial Times – Demetri Sevastopulo and John Reed / US and India launch ambitious tech and defence initiatives

• The US is launching a series of ambitious technology, space and defence initiatives with India, in an effort designed to counter China in the Indo-Pacific and wean New Delhi off its reliance on Russia for weapons. 
• US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval met in Washington on Tuesday as the two countries unveiled co-operation in a number of areas, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, 5G wireless networks and semiconductors. They also created a mechanism to facilitate joint weapons production. 
• The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies marks the latest move by US President Joe Biden to work more closely with allies and partners to counter China. It follows an agreement between Biden and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, to create the initiative when they met in Tokyo in May 2022. 
• “It is really a strategic bet by the two leaders . . . that creating a deeper ecosystem between the US and India will serve the strategic, economic and technological interests of both countries,” Sullivan said.

The Guardian / Jair Bolsonaro applies for six-month tourist visa to stay in US

• Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing investigation as part of an inquiry into an alleged attempt to topple the country’s government, has filed a request for a six-month visitor visa to stay in the US.
• The former leader is understood to have entered the US on an A-1 visa reserved for sitting heads of state, which would expire on Tuesday, 30 days from the end of his presidential term.
• On Monday, a California-based law firm known for its work with Brazilians said that Bolsonaro had requested a six-month visa to stay in the US.
• “We look forward to achieving the highest level of satisfaction and desired results for our client,” AG Immigration Group said in a statement.

Our opinion reads for today: 

• Project Syndicate – Kenneth Rogoff / Too soon for global optimism
• Project Syndicate – Jean Pisani-Ferry / Why Europe’s Franco-German engine is stalling