US State Department says America’s nuclear posture remains unchanged

The impact of Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest statement regarding nuclear arms has not been clarified and so Americans will not change their nuke strategy, the US State Department has said. 

At his annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, Russia on Tuesday, President Putin said Russia was suspending participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States.

"I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty," he said. 

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Tuesday that the practical impact of Putin's statement is yet unclear to the Americans.  

"We haven't seen any reason to change our nuclear posture, our strategic posture just yet," he said.

The US had previously accused Russia that it was not in compliance with the New START treaty.

Meanwhile, Putin on Tuesday accused the West of being directly involved in attempts to strike its strategic air bases.

Putin said Western countries are fanning the flames of a year-long war in Ukraine that has killed tens of thousands of people.

The Russian leader defended Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, reprehending the US and its NATO allies, saying they sought "limitless power" while reiterating Russia's responsibility to "liquidate the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev."

“They want to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on us and try to get to our nuclear facilities at the same time,” Putin said, declaring his decision to suspend Russia’s participation in the treaty. “In this context, I have to declare today that Russia is suspending its participation in the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms.” 

Putin blames West for Ukraine war, suspends nuclear treaty with US

In a state-of-the-nation address in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Western countries of fanning the flames of the war in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken deplored Putin’s move as “deeply unfortunate and irresponsible,” noting that “we’ll be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does.”

He said that “we’ll, of course, make sure that in any event we are postured appropriately for the security of our own country and that of our allies,” but emphasized that “we remain ready to talk about strategic arms limitations at any time with Russia irrespective of anything else going on in the world or in our relationship.”

“I think it matters that we continue to act responsibly in this area,” Blinken told reporters on a visit to Greece. “It’s also something the rest of the world expects of us.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also regretted Putin’s move, saying that “with today’s decision on New START, full arms control architecture has been dismantled.”

“I strongly encourage Russia to reconsider its decision and respect existing agreements,” he told reporters.

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