New START: Moscow suspends its participation in the latest Russian-American nuclear disarmament treaty

Once again, Vladimir Putin is brandishing the nuclear threat. In his solemn address on the state of the Russian nation, three days before the anniversary of his offensive against Ukraine, Vladimir Putin issued a new nuclear warning to the West, accusing it of wanting to destroy Russia. This time by suspending New START, the bilateral nuclear arms control treaty.

Signed on April 8, 2010, when relations between their two countries were much warmer, New START (New START III) is the latest major international agreement to establish mutual control between Moscow and Washington over their nuclear weapons. . It limits the number of nuclear warheads that the world’s two largest nuclear powers – 90% of the world’s nuclear warheads – can deploy, and it expires in 2026 after a five-year extension in 2021.

“Today I am compelled to announce that Russia is suspending its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty,” Putin said, justifying his decision by saying that some people in Washington are considering resuming nuclear testing. Therefore, he continued, the Ministry of Defense and Rosatom, Russia’s atomic energy agency, must be prepared to test Russian nuclear weapons. According to the Arms Control Association, the Soviet Union conducted its last test in 1990.

VIDEO. War in Ukraine: “Russia cannot be defeated,” Putin said

“Of course we won’t be the first to do it. But if the United States tests, then we will. No one should have dangerous illusions about the possibility of destroying the global strategic parity,” the head of the Kremlin warned.

He also announced the deployment of new strategic ground systems. Putin did not say what the systems were, but accused Ukraine of wanting to strike a facility in the heart of Russia where some of its nuclear bombers, the Tu-160 supersonic bombers, are based, referring to the Engels airbase. In December, Ukrainian drones attacked the air base twice. In the second attack, three Russian soldiers were killed.

In early August, Russia had already announced the suspension of scheduled inspections of its military installations. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia is not going to discuss the START treaty with the United States as long as the latter will supply Ukraine with weapons and military equipment.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken from Athens, Greece, where he continues his European tour, called Russia’s decision “deeply unfortunate and irresponsible.” The Biden administration remains willing to talk about a nuclear arms treaty “at any time with Russia, no matter what happens in the world,” he added.