Joe Biden has called Putin’s decision to suspend Russia’s participation in the New START nuclear disarmament treaty a ‘serious mistake’

The American President, Joe Bidenestimated on Wednesday that the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Poutinecommitted a “big mistake” announcing the suspension of Russia’s obligations under the nuclear disarmament treaty START III oh New start.

As Biden entered the presidential palace in Warsaw for a meeting with countries on the eastern flank of the I WILL TAKEa reporter asked him for a statement on Putin’s decision.

At first, the US president joked that he “didn’t have time”; but then he stopped and said, “Big mistake”.

The Russian president announced on Tuesday the suspension of his country’s compliance with START III or New START, last nuclear disarmament treaty still in force between Russia and the United States.

Putin qualified “Russia does not give up, but only suspends” compliance with the Strategic Offensive Arms Reduction Treaty which expires in 2026, for which he blamed the United States.

Signed in 2010 by the then US and Russian presidents, barack obama there Dmitry MedvedevNew START reduces the number of nuclear warheads by 30%, down to 1,550 per country.

It also limits the number of launchers and systems Washington and Moscow can have deployed or in reserve, but its cornerstone is the verification regime the treaty establishes to ensure those limits are met.

Specifically, the United States and Russia can carry out up to 18 inspections per year of each other’s nuclear arsenals hardly leaving time for the host country to prepare: the technicians warn 32 hours before arriving and then choose the place they wish to examine, which must be respected by the host authorities.

A month ago, The United States has accused Russia of violating the treaty by prohibiting American technicians from carrying out inspections on Russian territory.

Putin announced the suspension of compliance with the treaty during a threatening state of the nation address to both houses of parliament.

“They want to inflict a strategic defeat on us and they are entering our nuclear installations. Therefore, I am compelled to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty,” he said.

He argued that “If the United States conducts nuclear tests with a new type of strategic weapon, Russia will also carry out tests” of this class.

“Of course, we won’t be the first to do this (…). No one should have the dangerous illusion that global strategic parity can be destroyed,” he commented.

NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenbergdenounced that with the decision of Russia, it had been dismantled “the whole architecture of arms control”.

The United States suspended arms control talks after the start of Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine nearly a year ago, and the last attempt to resume last November was postponed sine die by Moscow.

In addition, Russia informed Washington in August of its decision to ban US on-site inspections of its nuclear arsenal, citing difficulties in doing the same in the United States due to Western sanctions.

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