In a world where there is no control over nuclear weapons, it becomes much more dangerous and the likelihood of catastrophic consequences increases. This was announced on February 21 by the official representative of the UN Secretary General Stephane Dujarric.
“A world without nuclear arms control is much more dangerous and unstable, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Every effort should be made to avoid such an outcome, including by immediately resuming the dialogue,” he said, commenting on Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
Earlier that day, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his State of the Union address, announced that Russia had decided to suspend participation in the New START Treaty. He drew attention to the fact that the Russian Federation “does not withdraw from the agreement, namely, it suspends participation.” In turn, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance regrets Russia’s decision to suspend participation in START.
An agreement between Russia and the United States on measures to further reduce and limit strategic offensive arms was signed on April 8, 2010 in Prague. It replaced the 1991 START Treaty and, upon entry into force, replaced the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (STRAT).
In January 2021, Putin and US President Joe Biden agreed to extend the New START Treaty without additional conditions for another five years, until February 5, 2026. However, the situation changed after the start of the Russian special operation to protect Donbass.
