Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that Russia is suspending the participation in the ‘New START treaty’, the last major arms control treaty with the US. The treaty which is set to expire in 2026 restricts the number of nuclear warheads that Russia and US can deploy.
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The move may exacerbate ongoing tensions between Russia and US as a result of the Ukrainian war, which can also be attributed to US President Joe Biden’s unannounced visit on Monday to Kyiv expressing strong support for Ukraine.
In his state-of-the-nation address, Putin also stated that Russia should be prepared to resume nuclear weapons tests if the United States does so, effectively ending a global ban on nuclear weapons tests in place since the Cold War.
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What is the New START treaty?
-The treaty was signed by then-US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, and it came into force in 2011.
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-After US President Joe Biden took office in 2021, the treaty was extended for five years, allowing both US and Russian inspectors to ensure that both sides are in compliance with the treaty.
-According to the agreement, Moscow and Washington agreed to deploy no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and no more than 700 long-range missiles and bombers as well as the use of land-based and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.
-Every year, each side can conduct up to 18 inspections of strategic nuclear weapons sites to ensure the other has not exceeded the treaty’s limits.
What does Russia’s suspension of the treaty mean now?
As Russia suspended its participation in the New START treaty, the US could lose access to inspections and monitoring data on the number of deployed Russian nuclear warheads, as well as the land and sea-based vehicles used to launch them. From the US, approximately 200 inspectors from the Department of Defense, intelligence community, and State Department are assigned to carry out verification under the treaty. Russia stated earlier this month that it wanted to keep the treaty despite what it called the US’ destructive approach to arms control.
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Russia and the US control roughly 90% of the world’s nuclear warheads, and both have stressed that nuclear war should be avoided at all costs.
The US had earlier accused Russia of violating the treaty by refusing to allow inspections on its soil, while Moscow also warned that the West’s determination to defeat Russia could prevent the treaty from being renewed when it expires in 2026.
(With inputs from agencies)
