Blinken calls Russia's decision on New START 'deeply unfortunate, disturbing'

Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the New START treaty is "deeply unfortunate and irresponsible," said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also mentioned that the Biden administration is ready to have a conversation on the nuclear arms treaty "at any time with Russia, irrespective of anything else going on in the world," he said.

"We'll be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does," he added, saying the US will ensure that it is "posing appropriately for the security of our own country and that of our allies."

"I think it matters that we continue to act responsibly in this area; it's also something the rest of the world expects of us," Blinken said.

Notably, this development came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow was suspending its participation in the New START treaty, which is the last remaining nuclear arms control deal between Moscow and Washington. Also, Putin asserted that Russia should stand ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if the US does so.

What is the New START treaty?

The New START nuclear arms reduction treaty is an agreement between Russia and US that will limit the US and Russia's nukes to no more than 1,550 under the deployment, and to 700 missiles and bombers. Also, this agreement felicitates the on-site inspections and checks for compliance. Since 2020, no inspections have been carried out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and later Russia's war in Ukraine.

Why did Putin postpone the New START treaty?

Putin explained in his Tuesday address that he decided to suspend participation in the New START treaty in the wake of the US and its NATO allies' actions of openly helping Ukraine and declaring the goal of Russia's defeat in the Ukraine war.

"They want to inflict a strategic defeat on us and try to get to our nuclear facilities at the same time," he said.

Putin went on to say that while the US wants to resume inspection of Russian nuclear facilities under the treaty, NATO members had helped Ukraine in drone attacks on Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers. "The drones used for it were equipped and modernised with NATO's expert assistance," Putin said. "And now they want to inspect our defence facilities?" In the conditions of today's confrontation, it sounds like sheer nonsense. Putin, however, stressed that currently Russia is suspending its involvement in New START and not completely withdrawing from the pact yet. 

Image: AP