Russia suspends its participation in the nuclear arms reduction treaty with the US, known as the New START treaty, Putin said during his address to the Federal Assembly.
Putin claims Washington is developing new types of nuclear weapons and is thinking of nuclear tests.
“If the US tests nuclear weapons, we shall do so too. Nobody should be illusioned that the global strategic parity can be put out of existence,” Putin stated. “We are not exiting the treaty completely, but rather suspending our participation,” he noted.