On Feb. 26, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin made some comments on the “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” program on Rossiya-1 TV channel, reported TASS.
“For them (Western countries) it is unexpected, but I think [suspension of Russia’s participation in the New START treaty] is an absolutely reasoned, firm and correct decision,” Naryshkin he said when answering a question by journalist Pavel Zarubin.”
He was referring to Putin’s Address to the Federal Assembly on Feb. 21, in which Putin told the nation that “before returning to the discussion of compliance with the treaty, Russia should understand how the arsenals of not only the United States, but also other NATO nuclear powers—the U.K. and France—will be accounted for by the treaty. The State Duma unanimously passed the bill on suspension of Russia’s participation” on Feb. 22.
An analysis of this new policy was offered to RT by Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and research director of the Valdai International Discussion Club. (https://www.rt.com/news/572058-russias-suspension-start-treaty/ )
