Vladimir Putin pulls Russia out of its last nuclear-arms-control treaty

AMID BOASTFUL claims about the strength of the Russian economy in resisting sanctions and the usual bluster about how it was NATO that started the war in Ukraine and how the West (a sink of depravity where paedophilia is “declared normal”) is striving for “unlimited domination”, Vladimir Putin did make one announcement of substance. In an important speech on February 21st, just before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Mr Putin declared that Moscow would suspend its involvement in New START, the only remaining arms-control agreement between the two nuclear superpowers.

The agreement, which came into force in 2011, was extended in February 2021, just two days before it was due to expire. Joe Biden had made keeping New START a foreign-policy priority, securing Mr Putin’s support for the extension just six days after entering office. That was a contrast with the previous administration; Donald Trump had shown little interest in arms control. It meant that for a further five years deployable strategic nuclear warheads would be capped at 1,550 on both sides with further limits on “launchers”—ground-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers. Although it still leaves both sides with enough firepower to destroy civilised life on earth, the treaty nonetheless represents a 75% reduction in warheads since the end of the cold war.