Putin’s State of the Nation Address Sparks Outrage from US Over Suspension of New START Treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state of the nation address on Wednesday, rehashing his rationale for invading Ukraine last year and providing no vision for how the war might end.

In his lengthy speech, Putin accused the West of starting the war in Ukraine, and he criticized the US for not allowing Russia to inspect its weapons sites. Putin also announced that Russia is suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty.

The New START treaty was signed in 2010 by the US and Russia and was set to expire in 2021. The treaty limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads each country can possess. Putin said that Russia will not extend the treaty unless the US agrees to include China in the agreement.

The US has long been critical of Russia’s involvement in Ukraine, and the US State Department released a statement condemning Putin’s speech. “The United States is deeply concerned by President Putin’s announcement that Russia is suspending its participation in the New START treaty,” the statement said.

The US also criticized Putin’s claims about the war in Ukraine, saying that Russia’s aggression in the region is the cause of the conflict. “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is the cause of this conflict, not the West,” the statement said.

The US is urging Russia to return to the negotiating table and to extend the New START treaty. The US State Department said that the treaty is “a cornerstone of strategic stability between the two nuclear superpowers and a critical element of global security.”