Russia will use nuclear weapons for its defence – Medvedev

Russia will use any weapons including nuclear ones for her defence, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council wrote in his Telegram channel.

"After all, it is obvious to all reasonable forces that if the United States wants Russia defeated, then we all stand on the verge of a world conflict. If the United States wants to defeat Russia, then we have the right to defend ourselves with any weapons, including nuclear ones,” Medvedev wrote.

Medvedev referred to Putin's remarks, who said that Russia could not be defeated on the battlefield. According to Medvedev, Russia suspended her participation in the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START, START-III) for this particular reason.

Medvedev called to see how NATO nuclear powers, in particular France and Great Britain, would react to Moscow's decision. Their strategic nuclear forces did not include nuclear warheads and launchers when preparations were made for the agreements between Washington and Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia's participation in the START Treaty during the announcement of his Address to the Federal Assembly. Russia is not withdrawing from the agreement, but is suspending her participation in it. In the future, in order to interact within the framework of the treaty, one will need to understand how the total NATO nuclear arsenal will be taken into account, he added.

State Duma approves Putin's decision to suspend START

The State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted Putin's law on the suspension of Russia's participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty. The decision to resume the country's participation in the START will be made by the President of Russia, the document says.

All MPs present voted "for" — 401 people, or 89.1 percent of the total composition.

Russia and the United States signed the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty in 2010 for a period of ten years. The treaty was signed by then Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama. At the beginning of 2021, it was extended until February 5, 2026.