Last Update: February 21, 2023, 18:13 IST
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual speech at the Federal Assembly in Moscow, Russia (Image: Reuters)
Nearly a year after ordering the invasion that triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the depths of the Cold War, Putin said Russia would achieve its war goals and blamed the West for trying to destroy Russia. Was accused.
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday issued a nuclear warning to the West over Ukraine, suspended a bilateral nuclear arms control treaty, announced new strategic systems had been put on combat duty and warned Moscow could resume nuclear tests. Could
Nearly a year after ordering the invasion that triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the depths of the Cold War, Putin said Russia would achieve its war goals and blamed the West for trying to destroy Russia. Was accused.
Warning the United States that it was provoking war in a global conflict, Putin said Russia was suspending participation in the New START treaty, the last major arms control treaty between Moscow and Washington.
It limits the number of nuclear weapons the world’s two largest nuclear powers can deploy and is due to expire in 2026.
“I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty,” Putin told his country’s political and military elite.
The Russian leader said, without citing evidence, that some in Washington were considering resuming nuclear tests. He said that therefore Russia’s Defense Ministry and Nuclear Corporation should be ready to test Russian nuclear weapons if needed.
“Of course, we will not do it first. But if the US tests, we will. No one should have dangerous illusions that global strategic parity can be destroyed,” Putin said.
“A week ago, I signed a decree to put on combat duty a new ground-based strategic system. Are they going to stick their nose in there too, or what?”
It was not immediately clear which ground-based systems had been placed on combat duty.
Russia and the United States still have vast arsenals of nuclear weapons left over from the Cold War. They are by far the largest nuclear powers, possessing 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons.
The New START treaty limited both sides to 1,550 warheads on deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine ballistic missiles and heavy bombers. Both sides completed the central borders by 2018.
‘Impossible to beat’
Speaking for one hour and 45 minutes under a large sign bearing Russia’s double-headed eagle, and a total of eight tricolor Russian flags, Putin vowed to continue Russia’s year-long war in Ukraine.
He also tried to justify the war by saying that it was imposed on Russia and that he understands the pain of the families of those who fell in the war.
The West and future NATO member Ukraine reject that narrative, and say that eastward expansion of NATO since the end of the Cold War has no justification for what they say is the failure of an imperialist-style land grab. .
“The people of Ukraine have become hostages of the Kiev regime and its Western overlords, who have effectively occupied this country in political, military and economic terms,” Putin said.
“They intend to turn a local conflict into a stage of global confrontation. That is exactly how we understand it and we will react accordingly, because in this case we are talking about the existence of our country.”
It was impossible to defeat Russia, he said.
The 70-year-old Kremlin chief said Russia would never bow to Western attempts to divide its society, adding that most Russians support the war.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)