Putin signs a decree suspending Russia’s participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree suspending Russia’s participation in the START-3 strategic arms reduction treaty.

“It’s envisaged that the Russian Federation will suspend the validity of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on measures to further reduce and limit strategic offensive weapons, signed in Prague on April 8, 2010”.

The decree comes into force as stipulated in the document immediately after publication on the official website, and the decision to resume Russia’s participation in the treaty will be taken by the president.

The Russian president also asked the Federal Security Service (FSB) on Tuesday, to intensify its activity in combating what he called the increase in espionage and sabotage activities on the part of Ukraine and the West.

In a speech to the officials, Putin said that the agency must stop the sabotage groups entering Russia from Ukraine and intensify efforts to protect the infrastructure and prevent Western security services from reactivating what he called terrorist or extremist cells inside Russia.

“Western intelligence services have always been active in Russia, and now they have thrown additional personnel, technical and other resources on us… We’ve to react to that,” Putin said.

He directed the FSB to prevent the illegal flow of weapons into Russia and to enhance security in four regions of Ukraine that Moscow had partially captured and declared part of its territory, a move that most United Nations member states denounced as illegal.

Putin has been urging Russians to beware of traitors in their midst, a tone he returned to on Tuesday, saying, “It’s necessary to identify and prevent the illegal activities of those who try to divide and weaken our society”.

Putin also announced that units of the Russian Federal Security Service carried out complex and unconventional tasks during the special military operation in Ukraine, providing security for the borders of the Russian state.

He stressed that he would use all necessary means for this purpose, and said, “The activities of those who are trying to divide Russian society using separatist, nationalist and neo-Nazi tendencies must be exposed and suppressed”.

Putin said, during a meeting held on Tuesday, dedicated to summarizing the work of the service in 2022 that the units of the Federal Security Service participated directly in the special military operation in Ukraine, and carried out complex and unconventional operational tasks there.

It provided security for the borders of the state, and actively fought terrorism, organized crime, corruption and extremism.

Earlier, the press spokesman for the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the meeting of the leadership of the Russian Federal Security Service, with the participation of President Putin, will witness a serious discussion of all matters related to state security, indicating that part of the speech of the head of state will be open, while the speech The director of the apparatus, Alexander Bortnikov, in the presence of the Russian president, will be behind closed doors.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the need to support the forces with all kinds of weapons and ammunition, and to strengthen reconnaissance units and combat enemy reconnaissance.

Putin said that Russia has a primary goal, which is to secure and strengthen exchanges with new regions and help civilians.

Putin noted that this experience should be fully used to strengthen the country’s national security, protect the state and society, and the rights and freedoms of citizens.

“I’ve already said that our armed forces have gained invaluable combat experience… The Federal Security Service and our other special agencies also gathered the same experience over the past year”.

Earlier, the press spokesman for the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the meeting of the leadership of the Russian Federal Security Service, with the participation of President Putin, will witness a serious discussion of all matters related to state security.

Peskov Pointed out that part of the speech of the head of state will be open, while the speech of the director of the apparatus, Alexander Bortnikov, in the presence of the president will be behind closed doors.