Russia is suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.
Moscow is not withdrawing from the agreement, but is suspending its participation, Putin said in his state of the nation address.
Under the key nuclear arms control treaty, both the United States and Russia are permitted to conduct inspections of each other’s weapons sites, but inspections have been halted since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the New START treaty is still in force after a previous agreement between Moscow and Washington extended it through February 4, 2026.
According to US officials, Russia has continually refused to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities.
“Russia is not complying with its obligation under the New START Treaty to facilitate inspection activities on its…
