In a much-anticipated speech this morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that it would be suspending the last major nuclear arms-related treaty between the United States and Russia.
Referred to as the New START treaty, the agreement is focused on cutting long range nuclear arms. The US last month had already stated that Russia was in violation of the treaty, when they refused to allow on-site inspections of its nuclear facilities, and ignored requests for discussions on the matter. The treat is said to be the last major agreement related to nuclear arms between the two opposing nations.
The New START agreement, implemented in 2010, caps the number of nuclear warheads at 1,550 per nation, and allows the other side to inspect facilities to confirm that this limit is not being exceeded.
With Russia now suspending its participation in the arrangement, it marks the first time since 1972 that the two nations will see their nuclear arsenals unconstrained.
The decision by Putin to suspend Russia’s involvement in New START follows comments made earlier within a speech wherein he accused the US of “provoking” the ongoing “special military operation.”
“They want to deal us a strategic defeat and are meddling with our nuclear facilities. In this context, I have to declare today that Russia is suspending its participation in the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms,” said Putin.
The decision to suspend the treaty follows a surprise visit by US President Joe Biden to Kyiv, Ukraine.
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