Context:

 Russia announced that Moscow was unilaterally suspending the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty New START treaty with the U.S.

About Arms control agreements:

•  Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT): The first formal dialogue, the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), started between the two countries under the former U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1969. 
• Anti­Ballistic Missile defence systems Treaty: The Anti­Ballistic Missile defence systems Treaty, which provided for the shooting down of incoming missiles, was signed in 1972, but the George W. Bush administration unilaterally pulled out of the pact in 2002. 
• Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I): The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), signed in 1991, expired in late 2009 and another treaty, the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT or Moscow Treaty), was signed in 2002. 
  • However, the New START treaty replaced the 2002 pact and was the last remaining nuclear weapons control agreement between the two powers who together hold 90% of the world’s nuclear arsenal.

The New START Treaty:

• It was signed in 2010 by former U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and came into force in February 2011. 
• It was extended for five years when the U.S. President Joe Biden took office in 2021. 

• Key Provisions:

• • Deployment of strategic nuclear warheads: Under the Treaty, the USA and Russia cannot deploy more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and more than 700 long range missiles and bombers. 
  • On-Site Inspections: Additionally, it allows each side to carry out up to 18 short notice (32 hours) on site inspections of strategic nuclear weapons sites annually to ensure that the other country had not crossed the limits of the treaty. 
  • Exchange of Data: Under the agreement, Russia and the U.S. exchange data twice a year on ballistic missiles under the treaty’s purview and on bombers, test sites, nuclear bases etc. 
  • Updation of Stockpile: The treaty also mandates the two parties to send notifications within five days if they change or update something in their stockpile, like moving missiles to a new base or deploying a new warhead to the system.

Significance:

• It gave Washington and Moscow seven years to reduce their stockpiles, including nuclear warheads that are launched using long range missiles, submarines, and bombers.

News Source: The Hindu