Vladimir Putin announced that Russia is suspending its participation in New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty).
He stressed that Russia is not withdrawing from the treaty but “suspending its participation”.
According to Putin, the United States is developing new types of nuclear warheads. He emphasized that if the U.S. tests new types of nuclear weapons, the Russian Federation will do the same:
“The Russian Ministry of Defense and Rosatom must ensure that preparations are made for the testing of Russian nuclear weapons. Of course, we will not be the first to do so. But if the U.S. conducts a test, we will conduct one as well.”
New START is a bilateral treaty between Russia and the United States on further mutual reduction of arsenals of deployed strategic nuclear weapons. Signed in 2010, New START provided for the reduction of deployed nuclear warheads for each side to 1,550 and limited the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers to 700.