Kremlin-Future Of Nuclear Treaty Depends On The West's Reaction

Wires carrying comments from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov. Following President Vladimir Putin's announcement on 21 Feb that Russia would suspend participation in the New START nuclear treaty (a measure passed by the State Duma today), Peskov is asked on what conditions Russia would return. States that the 'Everything will depend on the West...the first Western reaction to Russia's suspension of nuclear treaty does not show any willingness to negotiate.' Peskov says that 'Russia will take a patient approach on the nuclear treaty question, until our opponents are ready for dialogue.'

• The suspension of the New START treaty will not have significant short-term impact (it allowed for nuclear inspectors from one country to visit sites in the other, and had not been in operation for some time). However, it continues down the path of looser and fewer restrictions on nuclear proliferation and reduced transparency, both raising the risks of nuclear conflagration in the future.