Putin Uses Nuclear Negotiations to Blackmail the US: Goal - Concessions on Ukraine.

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, uses arms control negotiations as a tool for blackmail to force the US administration to make concessions regarding the war in Ukraine. This was reported by 'Glavkom' referring to analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

According to inkorr.com: On September 22, Putin emphasized that US compliance with his initiative regarding the New START Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms and other efforts to restore bilateral relations would contribute to a 'meaningful strategic dialogue' with Washington.

ISW analysts believe that the Kremlin has no intention of conducting serious negotiations and is using the issue of arms control as a tool of political pressure. This method is aimed at obtaining concessions regarding Ukraine and diverting attention from Russia's involvement in delaying peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

Russia's Nuclear Arsenal and Pressure on the West

It is worth noting that Russia possesses one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world - over 5,977 warheads. The war against Ukraine has not led to a decline in Russia's nuclear forces, as their modernization remains a key priority for the Kremlin. This opinion was expressed by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Air Force for Nuclear Integration, Lieutenant General Andrew Jebara, in an interview with the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

As Jebara noted, Russia continues to invest in nuclear deterrence, placing these issues above other aspects related to the war in Ukraine. He also pointed out the rapid buildup of China's nuclear arsenal, which, according to him, has increased over the past two years to a level equal to the entire nuclear arsenal of the United Kingdom.

Thus, negotiations regarding arms control between Russia and the US become for Putin a tool of pressure on the American administration to obtain concessions in the context of the Ukrainian situation. At the same time, Russia is actively modernizing its nuclear arsenal, investing significant resources in nuclear deterrence and enhancing military capability, while China is also rapidly increasing its nuclear armaments, raising concerns in Western countries.

Therefore, the current context of negotiations between Russia and the US reflects the complexity of international relations and the importance of arms control in the modern world. Given the escalation of the situation in Ukraine and the buildup of military capabilities, this issue is becoming increasingly relevant for global security.