Russian President Vladimir Putin is authorized to decide on the resumption of the country’s participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START, START-3), in accordance with the relevant bill. Its Russian leader introduced it to the State Duma on Tuesday, February 21.
“The decision on the renewal by the Russian Federation of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms is taken by the President of the Russian Federation,” follows from documentpublished in the electronic database of the State Duma.
It states that the suspension of Russia’s participation in START comes into force from the day the law on this is published. The adoption of the new federal law will not require additional funds from the federal budget. Also, there will be no need to invalidate or suspend acts of federal legislation.
The explanatory note to the bill says that the START, which contains provisions on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms, allows the parties to carry out inspection activities.
“At the same time, the United States purposefully does not fulfill its obligations under the agreement in this area of activity. In this regard, in accordance with the federal law of July 15, 1995 No. 101-FZ “On international treaties of the Russian Federation”, the President of the Russian Federation is making a proposal to suspend the agreement,” the note explains.
The same package of documents contains the order of the President of Russia on the appointment of Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov as a representative when the Federal Assembly considers the suspension of the START.
Earlier that day, in his address to the Federal Assembly, President Putin announced that Russia was suspending participation in the New START Treaty. He stressed that this is precisely the suspension of participation, and not the withdrawal from the contract. At the same time, the head of state said that before returning to the discussion of START, the country must understand how to take into account the nuclear arsenals of France and Great Britain.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance regrets the decision taken by the Russian side on START. He also urged Moscow to review it and honor its commitments.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the US authorities see no reason to change the readiness of nuclear forces in light of Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the New START.
The agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States on measures to reduce and limit strategic offensive arms was signed on April 8, 2010 in Prague. The document replaced the 1991 START Treaty (START). Upon entry into force, it also replaced the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (STRAT).
This START agreement was worked out on a parity basis in accordance with the principle of equal and indivisible security and provided for real, verifiable and irreversible reductions in strategic offensive arms.
