LOOK. Putin: Russia suspends US nuclear disarmament treaty
In his speech on the state of the country last week, Putin had already announced the suspension, although he also emphasized that it was not a withdrawal. Earlier he warned that an end to the agreement could lead to a new nuclear arms race. For the time being, Russia will continue to adhere to the agreed upper limits for nuclear weapons.
LOOK. Putin announces that Russia will strengthen nuclear weapons arsenal
In a video message a little later, Putin announced that Russia plans to strengthen its nuclear arsenal. “Right now, our fighters are fighting heroically against the neo-Nazism that has sprung up in Ukraine,” the head of state said. For that reason, the Russian military must have more advanced weapons at its disposal, it was said. “And we will pay more attention to strengthening the nuclear arsenal.”
New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between Russia and the US. It was extended for five years in 2021. It was originally signed in 2010 and limits both countries to 1,550 operational warheads, a lower number than in the original START 1 treaty, which dates back to 2002. Consultations on the implementation of the treaty had already been suspended in 2021.