Putin announces the suspension of the last nuclear arms treaty signed with the US

MADRID, 21 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday the suspension of Russian participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), the latest pact signed with the United States for the reduction and control of nuclear weapons.

Putin, who has indicated that Russia "must be prepared to carry out nuclear tests if the United States carries them out first", has pointed out that it is not a question of completely "abandoning" the treaty but of "suspending participation", as has clarified during his speech before the Russian Federal Assembly almost a year after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Thus, he has described NATO's calls for Russia to comply with said treaty as "absurd", especially after the Alliance's allies denounced Russia's non-compliance with it in early February and asked Moscow to comply with its obligations.