Russia’s parliament has passed legislation suspending Moscow’s participation in the New START agreement
Both houses of the Federal Assembly – the Russian parliament – approved a bill on Wednesday submitted by President Vladimir Putin, by which Moscow will temporarily suspend its participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (New START) – the last existing nuclear accord between Russia and the US.
In an explanatory note attached to the bill, the lawmakers state that the agreement, which was meant to cut in half the number of nuclear weapons deployed around the world, was supposed to allow both parties to carry out inspections in order to ensure compliance. The US, however, “deliberately fails to fulfill its obligations under the treaty in this area of activity,” the note states.
Because of this, and in accordance with federal law, the Russian president has made a proposal to suspend the agreement, the note reads, adding that the…
