Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the war in Ukraine on Western nations as he suspended participation in a nuclear disarmament treaty with the United States.
The president spoke at the annual State of the Nation address, claiming the West was “responsible” for the “escalation of the situation” and accused them of supplying arms to Ukraine before Russia’s invasion – which he described as a “special military operation”.
Putin announced, at the end of the two-hour speech, his plan to suspend Russia’s participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty which sets caps on the number of nuclear weapons the US and Russia can deploy – which was meant to run until 2026.
