February 21, 2023, 16:20 – BLiTZ – News
The speech of Russian President Vladimir Putin before the Federal Assembly aroused great interest in foreign media. The main sensation in the West was the suspension of Russia’s participation in the START treaty announced by the head of state. Foreign media heard this as a signal for a sharp increase in the level of tension in relations between Moscow and Washington.
The American television channel CNN marked Putin’s statement that Russia is suspending its participation in the START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the Breaking News badge, “breaking news.” The START treaty is the only remaining agreement regulating the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals and placing limits on the number of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons that both the US and Russia can possess.
The British newspaper The Guardian also noted the emphasis on the words of the Russian president about the START treaty. The publication cites Putin’s statement that Russia will conduct new nuclear tests if the United States does so. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed regret over Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the latest START bilateral nuclear arms control treaty and urged Moscow to reconsider its decision.
The Associated Press noted that Putin’s speech sparked expected disagreements between Moscow and the West. The Russian president accused Western countries of providing decisive military support to Kyiv, targeting Russian culture, religion and values, and also said that Western sanctions had no effect.
On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation Army launched a special military operation in Ukraine.
Acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin said that the Russian Armed Forces are approaching Vuhledar from three directions at once: from the south, southwest and west. The head of the DPR stressed that “the process is not going fast.”
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, said that the situation in Donbass is getting tougher. According to Zelensky, a very difficult situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is developing in Artemovsk (Bakhmut) and Vugledar, as well as in Limansky and other directions.
