What Russia's Withdrawal From The START Treaty Really Means

While the specter of nuclear war may seem to loom larger and more ominously in the wake of Putin’s speech on the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, the New START treaty, in which Putin has now suspended cooperation, has been on its way out since last summer. The speech was not shocking and was straight from the traditional Cold War playbook. But what was the aim? It’s hard to say. Putin simply wants to win the war. There is no ideology here other than anti-everything. Putin’s senseless scorched-earth tactics in eastern Ukraine,…