Putin’s Speech Launches a New Arms Race

Two hours of grievance came with a significant declaration. Mind you, we have been heading this way since at least the Trump administration that in the last days pulled out of the Clear Sky’s Treaty.

This was a grievance against the west, which is the main adversary for Putin. At this point, it’s not just the United States. It is the collective west. In the speech, Putin announced a partial withdrawal from the new START treaty. This is a very good summary by the way:

By announcing the suspension of START, Putin begins a new nuclear arms race. And it cuts off the way to negotiations with the West.

Putin said in a message to the parliament that Russia temporarily suspends its participation in the treaty on the reduction of offensive weapons, but does not withdraw from it. In addition, the President called for preparations for nuclear tests, for the first time since the autumn of 1990.

The current START III treaty was signed by President Dmitry Medvedev (he considered it a great achievement), entered into force in 2011 and was extended in 2021 by Joe Biden for another five years. It provides for a limit for Russia and the United States on the number of nuclear warheads, intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers.

The meaning of START is to stop the arms race. According to…