Donetsk, Feb 21 — DAN. Moscow is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
“I have to announce that Russia is suspending its participation in the treaty on strategic offensive armaments, ” Putin said. “I reiterate that it is not withdrawing from the treaty but is suspending its participation.”
Before resuming the participation in the treaty, Moscow intends to understand what NATO members France and Great Britain aspire to and how their strategic arsenals and NATO’s aggregate strike potential should be taken into account, he added.
In the United States, the shelf life of certain types of nuclear ammunition is running out, and some politicians in Washington think of testing nuclear weapons given the fact that the United States is developing new types of nuclear ammunition, Putin said.
“In this situation, the Russian Defense Ministry and Rosatom (State Atomic Energy Corporation) have to ensure the readiness to test Russian nuclear weapons. Of course, we won’t be the first to do it, but if the USA carries out a test, we’ll carry it out, too, ” the president said.*jk