Why Did Russia Give Up On The START Treaty

On February 21, Russia suspended its participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START Treaty) of 2010, which had been prolonged in January 2021 until 2026 (Kremlin.ru, February 21; Sozd.duma.gov.ru, February 21). At the same time, Moscow claimed that it will continue to respect the terms of the treaty despite the suspension (Mid.ru, February 21). Yet, one main problem here is that few know the actual state of Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal, as inspections were paused almost three years ago in March 2020. Moreover, evidence…