Russia is suspending its participation in New START nuclear weapons treaty, Putin says

Russia is suspending its participation within the New START nuclear arms discount treaty, President Vladimir Putin stated Tuesday.

Moscow is just not withdrawing from the settlement, however is suspending its participation, Putin stated in his state of the nation handle.

Beneath the important thing nuclear arms management treaty, each the USA and Russia are permitted to conduct inspections of one another’s weapons websites, however inspections have been halted since 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nonetheless, the New START treaty remains to be in drive after a earlier settlement between Moscow and Washington prolonged it by February 4, 2026. 

In line with US officers, Russia has regularly refused to permit inspections of its nuclear services. 

“Russia is just not complying with its obligation below the New START Treaty to facilitate inspection actions on its territory,” a US State Division spokesperson stated in January. 

“Russia’s refusal to facilitate inspection actions prevents the USA from exercising vital rights below the treaty and threatens the viability of U.S.-Russian nuclear arms management.”

Some context: The New START treaty is the one settlement left regulating the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.

The treaty places limits on the variety of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons that each the US and Russia can have. It was final prolonged in early 2021 for 5 years, that means the 2 sides will quickly want to start negotiating on one other arms management settlement.

A session of the Bilateral Consultative Fee on the treaty was slated to satisfy in Egypt in late November however was abruptly referred to as off.

The US has blamed Russia for this postponement, with a State Division spokesperson saying the choice was made “unilaterally” by Russia.