Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Baqaei to Al Mayadeen: We believe that a strong region consists of strong, reconciled, and united countries; based on this, we extend our hand to all our neighbors
Baqaei to Al Mayadeen: Iran considers its neighbors highly important, with regional security remaining a strategic priority
Baqaei to Al Mayadeen: US' insistence on completely halting Iran’s uranium enrichment raises questions about their true intentions
Baqaei to Al Mayadeen: We can't reach any real outcome in the talks if the positions keep changing and contradicting each other
Baqaei to Al Mayadeen: Under such circumstances, we do not expect an atmosphere of mutual trust during the talks
Baqaei to Al Mayadeen: We are engaging in talks while still facing a history of US pressure, including ongoing sanctions and threats
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei to Al Mayadeen: Hearing contradictory positions in each round of talks will only prolong negotiations and erode trust
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu: We are going to take control of the entire Strip's territory.
Resistance source to Al Mayadeen: Israeli special force assassinated commander in al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades Ahmad Kamel Serhan in his home in Khan Younis.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Indonesian Hospital still besieged, now out of service along with all hospitals north of the Strip.

Putin announces Russia suspends New START nuke pact participation

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 21 Feb 2023 15:30
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

The New START pact, first signed in April 2010, prohibits the United States and Russia from possessing more than 1,550 nuclear warheads on delivery systems.

  • x
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he gives his annual state of the nation address in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (AP)
    Russian President Vladimir Putin gesturing as he gives his annual state of the nation address in Moscow, Feb. 21, 2023 (AP)

In his state-of-the-nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin reveals that Russia is suspending its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).

"I have to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Let me say it again — [Russia] does not withdraw from the treaty, namely suspends its participation. But before returning to its discussion, we need to understand what countries such as France and the United Kingdom consider to be as their strategic arsenals, and how we will take them into account, that is, the combined strike potential of the [North Atlantic] Alliance," Putin tersely stated.

The US has issued an intolerable ultimatum to Russia on the New START treaty: Moscow must comply with the document's requirements, while Washington will do whatever it wants, as per the Russian President.

"Now, through representatives of NATO, in fact, they are putting forward an ultimatum — 'Russia should fulfill everything you agreed to, including the START treaty, and we will behave as we please,' as if there is no connection between the problems of START and, say, the conflict in Ukraine, other hostile actions against our country. As if there are no loud statements that they want to inflict a strategic defeat to us," Putin said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he described NATO's demand that Russia returns to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which includes providing access to nuclear sites for inspections, as "absurd".

"At the beginning of February, NATO made a statement with actual demands to Russia, as they put it, 'to return to the implementation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty,' including the admission of inspections to our nuclear, and defense facilities. Well, I don't even know what to call it — it's some kind of theater of the absurd. We know that the West is directly involved in the attempts of the Kiev regime to strike at the bases of our strategic aviation," Putin said.

Drones used for this purpose were "equipped and modernized with the assistance of NATO specialists," the President added.

"And now they also want to inspect our defense facilities. In modern conditions, today's confrontation, it sounds like some kind of nonsense," Putin said.

Related News

Trump, Putin to hold peace talks amid European ceasefire efforts

Russia respects US interests, expects reciprocal recognition: Putin

He further underlined that Russian-US relations have deteriorated, adding that this is Washington's "making".

Putin explained that by demanding that Russia resume inspections of nuclear sites, NATO, in fact, declared its desire to become a party to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), announcing that Moscow supports this decision that is overdue.

"Having issued its collective statement, NATO actually made an application to become a party to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. We agree with this, please. Moreover, we believe that such a formulation of the issue is long overdue," Putin said in his address to the Federal Assembly.

Read next: West wants to be done with Russia, seeks proxy war in Europe: Putin

A flashback

On August 8, Moscow informed Washington that it is temporarily halting inspections at its facilities covered by the New START Treaty. The Russian Foreign Ministry explained that Russia was forced to resort to such actions "due to Washington’s persistence in implicitly restarting inspections on conditions that do not take into account the existing realities, create unilateral advantages for the United States and actually strip Russia of the right to carry out inspections on US soil."

US President Joe Biden had said that his administration is ready to negotiate a new arms control framework to replace the New START treaty with Russia upon its expiry in 2026.

It is noteworthy that Russia and the United States announced in February 2021 the entry into force of the decision to extend the START 3 Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms for a period of five years.

The Treaty kept the two countries' nuclear arsenals at a much lower level than during the Cold War, as it set the number of installed strategic nuclear launchers at 700 and the number of nuclear warheads at 1,550.

Russia has constantly reiterated that the threat of nuclear war was real and should not be underestimated but that it should be avoided at all costs.

Read more: War in Ukraine: A conflict that will decide the global system's fate

  • Russia
  • US
  • war in Ukraine
  • New START

Most Read

Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

Gaza and the logic of necropolitics: Sovereignty measured by killing

  • Politics
  • 15 May 2025
Two F-35 jets arrive at it's new operational base Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, at Hill Air Force Base, in northern Utah. (AP)

F-35 near-misses over Yemen signal new risks for 'Israel': Forbes

  • Politics
  • 14 May 2025
Abu Obaida

Abu Obeida posts shortly after Israeli reports about his assassination

  • Palestine
  • 15 May 2025
YAF say struck 'Israel's' Ben-Gurion Airport with missiles, drones

YAF say struck 'Israel's' Ben Gurion Airport with missiles, drones

  • MENA
  • 18 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks up during a press statement at the Carmelite Monastery in the Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary, April 3, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Under US pressure, Netanyahu allows limited Gaza aid, bypasses cabinet

A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' commits massacres amid talks to pressure Hamas

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks to navy officials, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Nuclear deal with US possible if intimidation tactics stop: Pezeshkian

Israeli forces inspect the site where a projectile fired by the Yemeni Armed Forces landed in the area of Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, on Sunday, May 4, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Yemen warns airlines against flights to Ben Gurion amid blockade

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS