The “New START” treaty was in the news. What is this treaty?

1. It is a bilateral strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation.
2. It is a multilateral energy security cooperation treaty among the members of the East Asia Summit.
3. It is a treaty between the Russian Federation and the European Union for energy security cooperation.
4. It is a multilateral cooperation treaty among the BRICS countries for the promotion of trade.

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• START stands for “Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty” and was the last remaining nuclear arms control pact between Russia and the US. The treaty, which caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the US and Russia can deploy, was signed by former US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in 2010.
• It came into force in February 2011 and was extended in 2021 for five more years after US President Joe Biden took office. On 21 February 2023, Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the New START treaty, saying that Russia would not allow the US and NATO to inspect its nuclear facilities.

Answer: (a) It is a bilateral strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation | Difficulty Level: Easy