After the planned suspension of the last nuclear disarmament treaty with the USA, Russia warned of a nuclear confrontation with the West.
“If the United States wants Russia to be defeated, then we have the right to defend ourselves with any weapon, including nuclear weapons,” Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chief of the Russian National Security Council, wrote on the Telegram news channel. Then the world would be on the brink of a global conflict, the ex-Kremlin chief warned.
In his address to the nation, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia cannot be defeated. He announced the suspension of the “New Start” treaty with the USA on nuclear arms control and the limitation of nuclear warheads. Medvedev said the decision was a consequence of the US and other NATO countries declaring war on Russia. Western states have not declared war on Russia and have repeatedly emphasized that they do not want to become a war party in Ukraine. Russia invaded the neighboring country on February 24, 2022.
“New Start” contract: suspension, no exit
Russia had repeatedly warned of a new nuclear arms race like in the Cold War should “New Start” end. Putin emphasized that this is currently a suspension and not an exit from the contract, which is still valid until 2026. The suspension decision has yet to be formally approved by the State Duma and signed by Putin.
Ex-President Medvedev has now warned of far-reaching consequences for the world should Russia withdraw from the agreement. At the same time, he said that the previous agreements between the two largest nuclear powers, Russia and the USA, did not take into account nuclear warheads from the NATO countries France and Great Britain. But it is high time to do that, stressed Medvedev. Putin had also called for this in his speech the day before.
The “New Start” treaty limits the nuclear arsenals of both countries to 800 delivery systems and 1,550 operational warheads each. In addition, it is regulated that Washington and Moscow can exchange information about their strategic nuclear arsenals and hold up to 18 verification visits per year.
