Putin Changes Course on Nuclear Weapons

By Giulia Carbonaro On 2/21/23 at 6:50 AM EST

News Vladimir Putin Russia Nuclear Nuclear weapons

Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that Russia will stop observing the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement it shared with the U.S.

In a major speech to the nation, the Russian president said he wants to re-evaluate what NATO allies have in their nuclear arsenal, adding that Russia will be ready to test nuclear weapons if the U.S. tests them first.

That doesn't mean that Russia is leaving the agreement entirely, but Putin has stressed that the country will suspend its participation, saying that "before returning to the discussion of this issue, we must understand for ourselves what such countries of the North Atlantic alliance as France and Great Britain" have in "their strategic arsenals."

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference center in central Moscow on February 21, 2023. MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

During the national address, Putin also gave no indication of when Russia's war in Ukraine is going to end, claiming that the conflict was started by Ukraine and its allies.