About the Treaty

• The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) was signed in 2010 by Russia and the United States and entered into force in 2011.
• New START replaced the 1991 START I treaty, which expired in 2009, and superseded the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT).
• New START caps the United States and Russia each at no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and nuclear-capable bombers and no more than 1,550 deployed strategic warheads.
• The Treaty also allows for verification inspections and information-sharing. 

Why in News?

• Russia has temporarily suspended on-site inspections of its strategic nuclear weapons, under the New START treaty.
• The Russian foreign ministry in a statement said, the US was seeking advantages and had deprived Russia of the right to carry out inspections on US territory. It also said, US sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine had changed conditions between the countries.
• The treaty came into force in 2011. It is the last remaining arms reduction agreement between the two countries. It caps at 1,550 the number of long-range nuclear warheads that each country can deploy.
• The suspension comes a week after US President Joe Biden said that US was ready to work on a new nuclear arms deal with Russia. The current one will expire in 2026.

Reference:

1. https://newsonair.gov.in/News?title=Russia-temporarily-suspends-on-site-inspections-of-strategic-nuclear-weapons-under-arms-control-treaty-%26%2339%3b-New-START%26%2339%3b&id=445729