Putin assures that Russia is capable of responding to any threat

Moscow, Sept 22 (Prensa Latina) Russia is prepared to respond to any threat, existing or emerging, said President Vladimir Putin at a meeting with the permanent members of the country's Security Council. At the same time, the president added that Moscow is not seeking to unleash an arms race, and stressed that to avoid one and ensure an acceptable level of predictability and containment, Russia considers "attempts to maintain the current status quo achieved through the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START III) justified."

September 22, 2025
10:51

In this context, the Russian leader warned that the deployment of components of the US missile defense system in space could “nullify” Russia’s efforts to maintain its status quo.

Signed in 2010 and extended until February 5, 2026, the New START Treaty is a cornerstone of strategic stability between Russia and the United States.

START III limits the US and Russian arsenals to a maximum of 700 deployed missiles, 1,550 nuclear warheads, and 800 delivery vehicles, deployed and in reserve.

Moscow paused its participation in the treaty in February 2023 to evaluate the US nuclear weapons spread in the territories of its NATO allies, such as France and the United Kingdom, which are beyond scrutiny, and together have more than 500 atomic warheads, according to estimates by the International Peace Research Institute.

In addition to this, the US also has nuclear weapons spread across other European NATO members, specifically Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy, among other countries, according to various media reports.

Some experts warned that, in the absence of a new agreement, the United States and Russia would have a free hand to increase their nuclear arsenals to over 1,550 warheads.

jdt/jha/gfa