Putin signed! Russia leaves agreement with the US on the destruction of plutonium stocks

Russian President Vladimir Putin today signed a law on Russia's withdrawal from the historic agreement with the US aimed at reducing the huge stockpiles of plutonium that could be used to make nuclear weapons, left over from thousands of nuclear warheads from the Cold War, DW reports.

The goal of the Plutonium Management and Destruction Agreement (PMDA) was to reduce the large stockpiles of plutonium left over from the Cold War in order to prevent the production of additional nuclear weapons by Russia and the US.

The law on the withdrawal of the agreement was adopted by the State Duma of the Russian Federation on October 8 and approved by the Federation Council on October 22, 2025. In addition to the agreement, all accompanying protocols are also terminated.

The US-Russia Plutonium Agreement

The agreement between the governments of Russia and the United States on the destruction of plutonium was signed in 2000 and ratified by Moscow in 2011. The processing of plutonium for use in nuclear power plant fuel was expected to begin in 2018, but Russia suspended the agreement in 2016, accusing Washington of violating its obligations. This was due to Washington's decision to bury plutonium waste instead of using it as a fuel component for nuclear power plants.

Furthermore, the Kremlin explained its decision by referring to the "emergence of a threat to strategic stability as a result of hostile actions by the United States against the Russian Federation". The White House was then asked to lift sanctions imposed on Russia, compensate for the damage they caused, and reduce NATO's military presence in countries that joined the alliance after September 1, 2000.

Weapons-grade plutonium is primarily intended for the creation of nuclear weapons.