Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Tuesday that Moscow was suspending its participation in the B次元官网网址� the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States B次元官网网址� sharply upping the ante amid tensions with Washington over the fighting in Ukraine.

Speaking in his state-of-the-nation address, Putin also said that Russia should stand ready to resume nuclear weapons tests if the U.S. does so, a move that would end a global ban on nuclear weapons tests in place since the end of the Cold War.

Explaining his decision to suspend RussiaB次元官网网址檚 obligations under the 2010 New START treaty, Putin accused the U.S. and its NATO allies of openly declaring the goal of RussiaB次元官网网址檚 defeat in Ukraine.

B次元官网网址淭hey want to inflict a B次元官网网址榮trategic defeatB次元官网网址� on us and try to get to our nuclear facilities at the same time,B次元官网网址� he said, declaring his decision to suspend RussiaB次元官网网址檚 participation in the treaty. He later sent a draft bill on the pactB次元官网网址檚 suspension to the Kremlin-controlled parliament, which is expected to quickly rubber-stamp it Wednesday. The document says that it will be up to the Russian president to resume MoscowB次元官网网址檚 participation in the pact.

Putin emphasized that Russia was not withdrawing from the pact altogether, and hours after his address, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the country would respect the caps on nuclear weapons set under the treaty.

Russia also will continue to exchange information about test launches of ballistic missiles per earlier agreements with the United States, the ministry said.

Noting that the decision to suspend RussiaB次元官网网址檚 participation in New START could be reversed, the Foreign Ministry urged the U.S. to deescalate tensions and create a proper environment for the treatyB次元官网网址檚 implementation.

The New START treaty envisages caps on the number of nuclear weapons and broad inspections of nuclear sites. Putin said such inspections donB次元官网网址檛 make sense after the U.S. and its allies declared the goal of dealing Russia a military defeat in Ukraine and helped the Ukrainian military mount strikes on Russian nuclear facilities.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken deplored PutinB次元官网网址檚 move as B次元官网网址渄eeply unfortunate and irresponsible,B次元官网网址� noting that B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檒l be watching carefully to see what Russia actually does.B次元官网网址�

He said that B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檒l, of course, make sure that in any event we are postured appropriately for the security of our own country and that of our allies,B次元官网网址� but emphasized that B次元官网网址渨e 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.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 think it matters that we continue to act responsibly in this area,B次元官网网址� Blinken told reporters on a visit to Greece. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 also something the rest of the world expects of us.B次元官网网址�

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also voiced regret about PutinB次元官网网址檚 move, saying that B次元官网网址渨ith todayB次元官网网址檚 decision on New START, full arms control architecture has been dismantled.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 strongly encourage Russia to reconsider its decision and respect existing agreements,B次元官网网址� he told reporters.

Putin argued that while the U.S. has pushed for the resumption of inspections of Russian nuclear facilities under the treaty, NATO allies had helped Ukraine mount drone attacks on Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers.

The Russian military said that it shot down the Soviet-built drones that struck two bomber bases deep inside Russia in December, but acknowledged that several servicemen were killed by debris that also damaged some aircraft.

Putin on Tuesday mocked urging Russia to allow the resumption of the U.S. inspections of Russian nuclear weapons sites as B次元官网网址渟ome kind of theater of the absurd.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he drones used for it were equipped and modernized with NATOB次元官网网址檚 expert assistance,B次元官网网址� Putin said. B次元官网网址淎nd now they want to inspect our defense facilities? In the conditions of todayB次元官网网址檚 confrontation, it sounds like sheer nonsense.B次元官网网址�

Putin described the U.S. push for access to Russian nuclear sites as B次元官网网址渢he height of hypocrisy and cynicism.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hey want to inflict a B次元官网网址榮trategic defeatB次元官网网址� on us and at the same time, they keep trying to get to our nuclear facilities,B次元官网网址� he charged.

He noted he signed an order a week ago to deploy new land-based strategic missiles and asked: B次元官网网址淎re they also going to poke their noses there?B次元官网网址�

The Russian leader also alleged that a NATO statement on New START raised the issue of the nuclear weapons of Britain and France, which are part of the allianceB次元官网网址檚 nuclear capability but arenB次元官网网址檛 included in the U.S.-Russian pact.

B次元官网网址淭hey are also aimed against us. They are aimed against Russia,B次元官网网址� Putin said of the European weapons. B次元官网网址淏efore we return to discussing the issue, we need to understand what are the aspirations of NATO members Britain and France and how we take it into account, their strategic arsenals that are part of the allianceB次元官网网址檚 combined strike potential.B次元官网网址�

Then-presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev signed the New START treaty in 2010. The pact limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. The agreement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance.

Just days before the treaty was due to expire in February 2021, Russia and the United States agreed to extend it for another five years.

Russia and the U.S. have suspended mutual inspections under New START since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Moscow last fall refused to allow their resumption, raising uncertainty about the pactB次元官网网址檚 future. Russia also indefinitely postponed a planned round of consultations under the treaty.

The U.S. State Department has said that RussiaB次元官网网址檚 refusal to allow the inspections B次元官网网址減revents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty and threatens the viability of U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control.B次元官网网址� It noted that nothing prevents Russian inspectors from conducting inspections of U.S. facilities.

Putin on Tuesday challenged the U.S. assertion, alleging that Washington has rejected some Russian requests for visits to specific U.S. facilities.

B次元官网网址淲e arenB次元官网网址檛 allowed to conduct full-fledged inspections under the treaty,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 really check anything on their side.B次元官网网址�

He alleged that the U.S. was working on nuclear weapons and some in the U.S. were pondering plans to resume nuclear tests banned under the global test ban that took effect after the end of the Cold War.

B次元官网网址淚n this situation, Rosatom (RussiaB次元官网网址檚 state nuclear corporation) and the Defense Ministry must ensure readiness for Russian nuclear weapons tests,B次元官网网址� Putin said. B次元官网网址淲e naturally wonB次元官网网址檛 be the first to do it, but if the U.S. conducts tests we will also do it. No one should have dangerous illusions that the global strategic parity could be destroyed.B次元官网网址�

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for Russia and the U.S. to immediately return to dialogue because B次元官网网址渁 world without nuclear arms control is a far more dangerous and unstable one with potentially catastrophic consequences,B次元官网网址� U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

B次元官网网址�Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press