Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced on February 21, 2023 that Russia is suspending its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START III) with the United States, but is not withdrawing from it. Putin stated that Russia must understand how to take into account the combined nuclear capabilities of other NATO countries with offensive nuclear weapons and reproached the United States for developing new types of nuclear weapons and possible plans to test nuclear weapons.

The New START was signed by Russian and U.S. Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama on April 8, 2010, and entered into force in February 2011 for 10 years. It requires the United States and Russia to reduce their nuclear arsenals and means of deploying warheads to specific numbers: no more than 1,500 nuclear warheads (excluding warheads in long-term storage); no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers; no more than 100 additional non-deployed (not in combat readiness and used for training or testing of missiles not filled with nuclear warheads) launchers in addition to the 700 deployed ones.

The treaty also allows the parties to conduct inspections at ICBM bases, submarine bases, and air bases to monitor compliance with the treaty. The treaty bans the deployment of strategic offensive arms outside the countries’ national territory but allows the passage of submarines and the flight of strategic aircraft following general rules of international law.

The Russian Foreign Ministry clarified that Russia will continue to adhere to quantitative restrictions on strategic offensive arms until the end of the treaty’s life cycle, which is 2026, and will not stop participating in the exchange of notifications with the U.S. as to launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the START Treaty was called “regrettable” and “irresponsible” by the U.S. State Department.