Russia promises not to grow its nuclear arsenal after suspension of key agreement with US

The Russian side blames the United States for "its decision to suspend" the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms [New START] and assures that it is not going to subsequently increase its own nuclear arsenal.

This was stated by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reports European Pravda. 

According to the statement, "the extreme degree of Washington's hostility, the confrontation it is fomenting, and the openly adopted course for the malicious escalation of the conflict in and around Ukraine" led to the suspension of the New START.

"There is every reason to state that US policy is aimed at undermining Russia's national security, which goes in direct contradiction to the fundamental principles and understandings enshrined in the preamble to the START treaty, on which the new Treaty is based and without which it would not have been concluded," the Russian Foreign Ministry claims.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, this means a "fundamental change in circumstances" compared to those under which the agreement was concluded, and therefore "doing business with the US and the West in general no longer seems possible."

In addition, Russia comments on repeated violations by the United States of the provisions of the New START and expresses indignation that last year they invited inspections of Russian nuclear facilities.

"At the same time, in order to maintain a sufficient degree of predictability and stability in the missile and nuclear sphere, Russia intends to adhere to a responsible approach and will continue to strictly adhere to the quantitative limitations on New START provided by it within the life cycle of the Treaty," the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasised.

Earlier on Tuesday, 21 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Moscow's participation in the latest arms control treaty between the world's two major nuclear powers.

The Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Weapons, which was extended for five years in 2021, remains the only valid arms control treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States.

The treaty signed in 2010 limits the strategic carriers and nuclear warheads of the Russian Federation and the United States to 700 and 1,550, respectively.

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