Vladimir Putin announces Russia’s suspension from New START: What is this nuclear arms treaty?

It was a speech the world was waiting for. Russia’s president and strong man Vladimir Putin in his state-of-the-nation address, which went on for nearly two hours, lambasted the West for the ongoing Ukraine war — nearing the one-year mark. He also accused Ukraine’s leaders of taking the country’s population “hostage”, adding Kyiv is “serving the interests of foreign powers”.

However, the biggest takeaway from Putin’s speech was his announcement of suspending Russia’s participation in the New START treaty with the United States. After accusing the US and NATO of failing to cooperate, he said: “In this regard, I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty.”

He added that Russia should stand ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if the US does so, a move that would end a global ban on nuclear weapons tests in place since Cold War times.

Shortly after his speech, the Russian government clarified that it was simply suspending its participating and not withdrawing from it.

BREAKING NEWS! V.Putin: Russia suspends its participation in the #START Treaty (this does not mean withdrawal; return to the Treaty remains possible under certain circumstances).

— Mikhail Ulyanov (@Amb_Ulyanov) February 21, 2023

But what do we know about the New START treaty?

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All about New START

The New START treaty is formally known as the Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, according to the US state department website.

It is the last remaining arms control deal between the United States and Russia.

It was signed 2010, at a time when relations were much friendlier between the two nations, by then-President Barack Obama.

It took effect in February 2011.

According to the state department website, both Russia and the United States have stayed at or under certain limits including:

• 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments
• 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments (each such heavy bomber is counted as one warhead toward this limit)
• 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.

However, those figures are more than enough to destroy the Earth many times over.

As per the state department, New START, “limits all Russian deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons, including every Russian nuclear warhead that is loaded onto an intercontinental-range ballistic missile that can reach the United States in approximately 30 minutes.”

“It also limits the deployed Avangard and the under development Sarmat, the two most operationally available of the Russian Federation’s new long-range nuclear weapons that can reach the United States. Extending New START ensures we will have verifiable limits on the mainstay of Russian nuclear weapons that can reach the US homeland for the next five years.”

The state department website says that Russia, as of 1 September 2020, had declared 1,447 deployed strategic warheads.

It received its latest extension in 2021 by President Joe Biden shortly after he took office and the treaty was meant until 4 February 2026.

The state department has said the treaty was meant “to make the world safer.”

Row over New START

One of the provisions under New START was allows both American and Russian inspectors to ensure that both sides are complying with the treaty.

In 2020, the inspections were suspended owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two years later, talks to resume the inspections were met with resistance by Russia over the war in Ukraine.

In November, when talks were expected to be held in Cairo on restarting inspections, Russia decided to defer them. The Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, was then quoted as saying that his country was “committed to the goals of the New START treaty” but considered it “unjustified, untimely and inappropriate to invite the US military to our strategic facilities” while the two nations are on opposite sides of the conflict in Ukraine.

Later, in January-February, the US claimed that Russia was breaching the terms of the nuclear-arms reduction treaty by refusing to allow inspectors on its territory. The US state department The department said in a statement that the Russian refusal “prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of US-Russian nuclear arms control.”

However, Russia remained firm on its stance and blamed Washington for the situation. Dmitry Peskov, was quoted as saying to the Financial Times that the US had “destroyed the legal framework for arms control and security” and said its “hostile” backing of Kyiv after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a strategic threat for Moscow.

Reactions

Putin’s announcement, undoubtedly, evoked disappointment and shock across the world. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg slammed Russia, saying it marked the end of Europe’s post-Cold War arms control architecture.

News agency AFP reported Stoltenberg saying, “I regret today’s decision by Russia to suspend its participation in the New START treaty. Over the last years, Russia has violated and walked away from key arms control agreements. With today’s decision on New START the whole arms control architecture has been dismantled.”

US secretary of state Antony Blinken reacting to the announcement told reporters in Athens that the Russian leader’s decision “is both really unfortunate and very irresponsible.”

“We remain ready to talk about strategic arms limitations at any time with Russia, irrespective of anything else going on in the world or in our relationship,” Blinken told reporters at the American embassy in Athens during a regional visit.

“The announcement by Russia that it’s suspending participation in New START is deeply unfortunate and irresponsible,” said Blinken, adding, “We’ll be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does. We’ll of course make sure that in any event we are postured appropriately for the security of our own country and that of our allies,” he added.

European Union’s foreign policy head Josep Borrell also voiced his concern over Russia’s decision. “Russia’s announcement of suspending the New START treaty is another proof that what Russia is doing is just demolishing the security system that was built after the end of the Cold War,” Borrell said.

With inputs from agencies

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