Russian Parliament approves Putin's suspension of nuclear pact with US

Russian President Vladimir Putin. [File, Standard]

Both houses of Russia's parliament on Wednesday endorsed President Vladimir Putin's suspension of Moscow's participation in the 2010 New START nuclear arms treaty with the United States, casting it as a rebuke to the U.S.-led Western alliance arming Ukraine in its bid to fend off Russia's year-long invasion.

Putin announced suspension of Russia's involvement in the last remaining nuclear arms treaty with the U.S. during his state-of-the-nation speech on Tuesday. The pact, set to expire in 2026, limits each country to a maximum of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads.