On October 8, the Russian State Duma approved a law terminating the historic agreement between the US and Russia aimed at reducing the huge stockpiles of plutonium capable of being used to make nuclear weapons, left over from thousands of warheads from the Cold War. This was reported today by The Moscow Times, reports Focus.
The agreement between the two countries was signed in 2000 and ratified in 2011. It provided for the destruction by each side of 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium, considered at the time unnecessary for military programs. Along with the main treaty, a number of additional protocols to it are also canceled.
„The preservation of the obligations of the Russian Federation "...the plutonium agreement with the US is unacceptable," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, commenting on the vote in the Russian parliament.
The explanatory note to the bill states that the decision was made due to a “fundamental change in circumstances“, including “the introduction of US sanctions against the Russian Federation“, “NATO expansion to the east“ and “US support for Ukraine“.
According to the Duma's International Relations Committee, the purpose of the refusal from the agreement is “to prevent threats to Russia's national security“.
The processing of plutonium as a fuel component in nuclear power plants, as stipulated in the agreement, was planned for 2018. However, Russia suspended the document in 2016, accusing the US of breach of their obligations under the agreement.
President Vladimir Putin's decree states that the decision is the result of “the emergence of a threat to strategic stability as a result of hostile actions by the United States against the Russian Federation“.
In February 2023, Putin unilaterally terminated Russia's participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (SART), citing violations by the United States and a change in the circumstances under which the treaty was signed.