On the sidelines of the G-20 ministerial summit in India, a US official had a brief chat with a Russian minister. In particular, the American voiced a number of Washington’s demands on Russia. “Lavrov, in his usual way, answered all Blinken’s calls,” Zakharova said.Blinken would have liked Russia to start complying with the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty (START) again. Blinken also broached the subject of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, demanding its end and moving to a diplomatic discussion. Another concern for Blinken was the fate of Paul Whelan, an American citizen who was arrested in Russia for espionage and subsequently convicted.On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. Highlighting the deadlocked nature of bilateral relations with the United States, the President announced that the Russian Federation was suspending the implementation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). In addition, Putin stressed that the responsibility for the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine lies solely with Western countries. The Russian leader also noted that the United States was working to undermine the foundations of the global world order, imposing “American-style peace” on the entire planet.
