NEW DELHI: In a serious escalation of nuclear risk, Russian president Vladimir Putin on Tuesday declared that Moscow was suspending its participation in the New START treaty — its last nuclear nonproliferation accord with the US.
In his state-of-the-nation address, Putin said Russia wouldn’t hesitate to resume nuclear weapons tests if the US does so, portending the end of a global ban on nuclear weapons tests in place since Cold War times.
The US chose to react cautiously to the development, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken terming it ‘deeply unfortunate and irresponsible’, adding that the US will be “watching carefully to see what Russia actually does”. He added: “We are ready to talk about strategic arms limitations at any time with Russia irrespective of anything else going on in the world.”
Explaining his decision to suspend Russia’s obligations under New START, Putin accused the US and its NATO allies of openly declaring the goal of Russia’s defeat in Ukraine. “They want to inflict a strategic defeat on us and try to get to our nuclear facilities at the same time,” he said.
Putin added that while the US has asked for resumption of inspections of Russian nuclear facilities under the treaty, NATO allies had helped Ukraine mount drone attacks on Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers.
Duing his two-hour monologue, Putin clarified that Russia is only suspending its involvement in New START and not entirely withdrawing from the pact. New START is a treaty between the US and Russia to reduce and limit offensive arms. Signed in 2010 by former US president Barack Obama and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, the accord limits each country’s strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 and long-range missiles and bombers at 700. The pact envisages on-site inspections. Days before the treaty was to expire in February 2021, Russia and the US agreed to extend it for five more years.
Wasn’t plotting to attack Russia: Biden
Hours after Putin’s speech, Biden said the West was not plotting to attack Russia. Biden, who is in Poland after his surprise trip to Kyiv, said: “The US and the nations of Europe do not seek to control or destroy Russia,” adding, “This war is never a necessity. It’s a tragedy. President Putin chose this war.”