Putin Suspends Treaty with US to Limit Nuclear Arsenal; Threat of Nuclear Weapon Race Increases

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday declared that Russia was suspending its participation in the New START treaty with the United States. This treaty limits the two sides’ strategic nuclear arsenals. This increases the chances of the resumption of a nuclear arms race between the two superpowers.

“In this regard, I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty,” Putin told lawmakers during his speech in the Russian parliament.

The New START treaty was signed in Prague in 2010. It came into force in 2011. In 2021 it was extended for five more years. This treaty puts a restriction on the number of nuclear weapons that the United States and Russia can deploy, and the deployment of land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.

Russia has the largest stock of nuclear weapons in the world. According to experts Russia has around 6,000 nuclear warheads. Russia and the United States have around 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons. These weapons can destroy the earth many times.