In the State Duma agenda for February 22, the document presented by the president takes first place.
Photo: Vladimir VELENGURIN
Then it became clear why the Federation Council decided to meet for an extraordinary meeting after the president’s message to the Federal Assembly. Before the holidays, both houses of parliament must have time to pass a bill on Russia’s withdrawal from the treaty with the United States on the limitation of strategic offensive weapons.
In the State Duma agenda for February 22, the document presented by the president takes first place. At the third reading, only one bill was considered – on fines for the transportation of oversized cargo. It is not the type of document by which the parliament would begin to organize extraordinary meetings.
In the explanatory note of the arms law, there are approximately the same arguments that Vladimir Putin invoked during his message:
“The treaty contains provisions on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive weapons. To ensure control of compliance with the provisions of the Agreement, each of the Parties has the right to carry out inspection activities. At the same time, the United States is knowingly in breach of its obligations under the Treaty in this area of activity.”
Unless, speaking live, the Russian leader used more picturesque expressions.
– We know that the West is directly involved in the attempts of the kyiv regime to attack the bases of our strategic aviation. The drones used for this were equipped and modernized with the help of NATO specialists. And now they also want to inspect our defense facilities? In the current conditions of today’s confrontation, this sounds like a kind of nonsense, the president said in his message.
START-3 is an agreement between Russia and the United States on the mutual reduction of nuclear arsenals. It entered into force on February 5, 2011 for a period of ten years. The agreement was signed by Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama. In January 2021, the parties extended the contract until February 5, 2026.
The agreement allows each of the countries to have only a limited amount of certain equipment and ammunition:
* 700 deployed ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and heavy bombers.
* 1550 nuclear warheads in the listed equipment.
The story goes back to the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty between the USSR and the United States. The first was signed in 1972. The two superpowers agreed to avoid a runaway arms race. And keep the balance in the world. Subsequently, the agreements with the Russian Federation were renegotiated.
Interestingly, two NATO countries, Great Britain and France, also have their own nuclear arsenals. But its size and condition are not limited by any agreement. Vladimir Vladimirovich recalled this in the message from him.
The financial justification for the law states that no additional budget spending will be required. But this is if a new arms race does not start.
– The Russian Defense Ministry and Rosatom must ensure readiness to test Russian nuclear weapons. Of course, we will not be the first to do this, but if the United States tests, we will. No one should have dangerous illusions that global strategic parity can be destroyed, the president said during the message.
