Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended his country’s participation in the New START Treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Moscow and the United States.
The treaty limited the number of warheads, among other restrictions on both countries’ nuclear arsenals.
In his state-of-the-nation address, Putin said he decided to suspend Russia’s obligations under the treaty as the U.S. and NATO openly work to defeat Russia in Ukraine.
WATCH:
Fox News further reports:
“In this regard, I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty,” Putin said in his annual address to the nation, just one day after President Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine.
In his long-delayed state-of-the-nation address, Putin cast Russia and Ukraine as victims of Western double-dealing. He said Russia, not Ukraine, was the one fighting for its very existence.
The speech reiterated a litany of grievances that the Russian leader has frequently offered as justification for the widely condemned war and ignored international demands to pull back from occupied areas in Ukraine.
The New START Treaty, first signed in April 2010, limits the U.S. and Russia from having more than 1,550 nuclear warheads deployed on delivery systems like intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missile or heavy bombers.
READ NEXT: Tucker Carlson Just Got Handed Bombshell Evidence, and Dems Should Be Worried
