In combative speech, Putin suspends nuclear arms treaty while lashing out at West over Ukraine war

usatoday:  In a combative speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday again blamed the West for provoking his invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

Putin's address came just hours before U.S. President Joe Biden was expected to address, from Poland, his view of Russia's war in Ukraine as the conflict approaches the one-year mark. Putin's remarks were mostly a rehash of comments he's made before, though he did announce he was suspending Moscow's participation in New START – a strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and Russia.

Putin said this action was being taken because of the U.S. and NATO, without specifying more. "In this regard, I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty," he said in a speech to lawmakers assembled from both houses of Russia's Parliament and various elites.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address, in Moscow on Feb. 21, 2023.

New START is the last remaining nuclear arms reduction deal between the U.S. and Russia. It was signed in 2010 and extended for five years in 2021.

It limits each side to 1,550 long-range nuclear warheads.

"Over the last (few) years Russia has violated and walked away from key arms control agreements. With today's decision on New START the whole arms control architecture has been dismantled," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

As he has done many times before, Putin blamed the West for provoking the war, accusing the U.S. and its European allies of wanting to acquire "limitless power."

He said Ukraine's allies were "playing a dirty game," that NATO members were openly talking about supplying Ukraine with nuclear weapons – they aren't  – and that the entire planet was "dotted" with U.S. military bases.

Putin claimed that western economic sanctions on Russia were not working, that Russian farmers just had a "record" grain harvest – Russia has stolen Ukraine's grain over the last year – and that he plans to bolster Russia's diplomatic and economic ties to India, Iran and other countries in the Middle East.

Large parts of his speech were focused on domestic policies connected to infrastructure spending and financial reforms. He praised Russian soldiers and said he would "systematically" continue with the Ukraine invasion he ordered a year ago. He did not unveil any new military objectives connected to Ukraine.

Putin ruled out Russia making a first nuclear strike in Ukraine, and said that Russia would only conduct nuclear tests if the U.S. did so first.

Biden is set to deliver his speech in Warsaw a day after he made an unplanned visit to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reiterated American commitment to supplying the country with aid and weapons for the long term.