Why did Russia suspend the New START Treaty?
Did you know that Russia cannot get US visas for its Russian inspectors to travel to the US to inspect US nuclear missiles which kind of defeats the purpose of US-Russian mutual inspection and nuclear missile count?Also, would you trust US inspectors in Russia if you were Russian given a) the example of Moe-so-Sad/See-Eye-Eh! infiltrated inspections of Iran, and b) the fact that currently US con-tractors/silitary/lack of intelligence and arrow space services guide Ukrainian missiles to Russian refineries?
Explanation of Events from the Russian Perspective:
Most people:”Oh those bad Commie Russkis, they opted out of START so they could prepare WWIII…”
Yes and no.
Given a marked increase in US hostility since Maidan 2014 and the US and Europe’s avowed centennial plus goal of chopping Russia up to plunder its resources, Russia restarted various unfinished Soviet nuclear projects that it deemed necessary to maintain the upper hand in the nuclear domination race and to ensure Russia’s sovereignty as a nation. Russia does not consider their pursuit, development and testing to be a breach of New START Treaty in a strict sense (“increase in the numbers of nuclear missiles” as ‘nuclear powered nuclear capable torpedo’ and ‘ nuclear powered nuclear capable cruise missile’, etc. which fall outside of treaty scope.)
Facts:
Russia suspended its participation in the New START treaty (formally the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms) on February 21, 2023, as announced by President Vladimir Putin in his address to the Federal Assembly. The suspension was formalized into law on February 28, 2023.
According to official Russian statements and explanations from government officials and state media, the key reasons include:
- “Ensuring nuclear parity and accounting for NATO allies' arsenals”: Russia seeks clarity on how the treaty would incorporate the nuclear capabilities of other NATO nuclear powers, specifically France and the United Kingdom, rather than focusing solely on U.S. arsenals. This is framed as necessary to maintain strategic balance, as NATO's collective nuclear potential is not addressed in the bilateral U.S.-Russia agreement.
- “Hostile U.S. policies and sanctions”: The suspension is attributed to the "extremely hostile policies" of the U.S. administration, including sanctions that have impeded treaty implementation. For instance, U.S. sanctions have led to visa revocations for Russian inspectors and restrictions on travel, making reciprocal inspections unfeasible and violating the spirit of the agreement.
- “Lack of trust and non-fulfillment of obligations”: There is no remaining trust between Russia and the U.S., particularly regarding inspections and information exchanges. Russia views U.S. actions, such as refusing to issue visas and failing to meet inspection-related commitments, as intentional non-compliance. This led to an initial pause in inspections in August 2022, escalating to full suspension in 2023.
- “Response to NATO actions and broader geopolitical tensions”: The decision is also linked to NATO's "hostile" statements and expansion, which Russia perceives as undermining the treaty's foundational principles of mutual security. Officials have emphasized that suspension opens options for Russia to safeguard its national security amid these threats.
Russia has clarified that this is a suspension, not a withdrawal, and it continues to voluntarily adhere to the treaty's quantitative limits on strategic arms until its expiration in February 2026 (with a proposal to extend this adherence for an additional year if reciprocated). Resumption would require addressing these concerns through dialogue involving all relevant nuclear powers. NOT…happening!
What’s the point of an inspection treaty if you are prevented from inspecting muh? You decide…