The deputies of the Duma, the Lower House of the Russian Parliament, have approved on Wednesday the suspension of the nuclear disarmament treaty START III either new STARTat the proposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The respective law was adopted unanimously and will enter into force after its official publication.

According to the norm, proposed yesterday by Putin during his speech on the state of the nation, it will be the head of the Kremlin himself who will decide in the future if Moscow returns to compliance with its obligations under the arms control treaty. , the last one that was still in force between Russia and the US.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov said today that currently there is no dialogue between Russia and the United States and “it is not known when it will resume.” All information exchanges and all elements referring to verification activities related to New START will become ineffective for Russia once the suspension of the treaty is formalized by a legislative act.

New START was signed in Prague on April 8, 2010 by the then US Presidents, Barack Obamaand from Russia, Dmitry Medvedev. The treaty limited the number of strategic nuclear weaponswith a maximum of 1,550 nuclear warheads and 700 ballistic systems for each of the two powers, on land, sea or air.

Precisely Medvedev, now vice president of the Russian Security Council, has assured that the decision to limit his participation in START is a logical consequence since the United States and NATO “They declared war on Russia“. And he has warned: “If the United States wants to defeat Russia, then we will defend ourselves with any weaponincluding nuclear weapons.

Moscow points out that the US will also withdraw

For his part, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Riabkov has assured that he does not rule out that the US will also abandon START III. “I do not rule out anything. Previously they (the Americans) have denounced many treaties,” Riabkov told reporters, according to the Interfax agency.

In addition, he has stressed that “it is difficult to predict” Washington’s reaction, but he has asserted that the US line of conduct “does not inspire optimism.” Asked about what decisions Washington should take for Moscow to resume the obligations of the New START, Riabkov has indicated that only Putin can answer this. “The president will decide if the conditions are ripe to review or specify yesterday’s decision (the suspension of the treaty) or if additional countermeasures are adopted. These matters can only be decided by the president,” he insisted.

In addition, Riabkov has described as “provocative leaks” the news of a failed launch of a Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile at the same time that US President Joe Biden was visiting Kyiv. “The Ministry of Defense presents all the information that deserves to be publicly disseminated,” he told the press. The Russian diplomat stressed that “in recent times there are many things, including those that do not stand out in the public space, of a provocative nature: when provocative information is leaked from abroad, which has nothing in common with the truth and is harmful “.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskovhas evaded answering about the alleged launch and redirected the question to the Russian Ministry of Defense, which “corresponds to the prerogative” in this regard.

According to the US network CNN, which cites unidentified US officials as a source, Russia conducted a test on Monday of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which apparently was unsuccessful and occurred moments before or while US President Joe Biden was visiting the Ukrainian capital.