Financial Times @FinancialTimes
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Vladimir Putin and Wang Yi, China’s top foreign policy official, vowed to ‘strengthen’ ties between Moscow and Beijing at a meeting in the Kremlin ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine https://on.ft.com/3YRShq3
8:30 AM · Feb 22, 2023 //

As we reported, Russia also announced they were pulling out of START.

As my colleague Streiff observed,

The biggest solid news item was Putin’s announcement that Russia would suspend its participation in the “New START” treaty signed in Prague in 2010. That treaty places a cap on the number of nuclear warheads held by the US and Russia and the delivery systems for those warheads.

I am forced to announce today that Russia is suspending its participation in the strategic offensive arms treaty.

Putin’s decision to “suspend” the treaty means he gets to keep the treaty in force but deny the US the ability under that treaty to carry out inspections. It’s good work if you can get it and something he would never have tried to pull on President Trump. I’m sure Biden and Blinken will go along with this bullsh**. //

Mr. President, any reaction to Putin pulling out of New START [nuclear treaty]?"

BIDEN: "I don't have time" pic.twitter.com/um4YEE3zsd

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 22, 2023

This would be the point where you’re supposed to make a statement criticizing Russia, Joe. You shouldn’t have to be told that. But he’s having to work too hard just figuring out where to stand.

That’s part of the problem — he never has time — or the ability or inclination to respond appropriately — to balloons, to Afghanistan, to the border, to much of anything that is in the best interests of the United States. Our antagonists look at who we have in “charge” and it has emboldened them all.