On Tuesday, the Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed that Russia will be withdrawing from the ‘New START treaty’, which is the last ever arms control treaty signed with the US. The treaty will be matured in 2026 and aims at restraining the number of nuclear warheads that Russia and US can equalize and deploy.
During an address to the nation, Putin mentioned that the country must be on its toes to start nuclear weapons test if in case the United States plan so, terminating a ban on nuclear weapons tests since the Cold War.
All about New START treaty
- The treaty was signed between the erstwhile US President Barack Obama and the then Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, and was thereafter ratified in 2011.
- After the incumbent US President Joe Biden took office in 2021, the nuclear weapons treaty was thereon extended for five years, permitting both US and Russian counterparts to ensure that the countries are compliant with the treaty.
- In cue to the agreement, Moscow and Washington have resorted to deploy no weapons of mass destruction that is around more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and not exceeding the 700 long-range missiles and bombers including the drive for delivering land-based and submarine-based missiles and bombers.
- As per the observed pattern, every year, each side 18 inspections of premeditated nuclear weapons sites is conducted to make sure that the involved parties have not exceeded the limits set by the treaty.