Putin’s propaganda battle against the West

Berlin Vladimir Putin is almost at the end of his almost two-hour speech and has announced a series of social benefits after sharp attacks on the West. It is about subsidies for apartment renovations, school construction, pensions and gas connections. Only then does he say “something about the situation around us”.

But what he announces almost casually has a historical dimension: In his state of the nation speech, which has been postponed for months, the Kremlin chief has announced a new arms race.

As of today, Russia “is suspending its participation in the start-up nuclear arms agreement,” says Putin. In doing so, he is effectively terminating the last remaining arms control agreement with the United States. His country will also resume nuclear weapons tests if others do the same. The Kremlin chief warns that in future there will no longer be a balance at the military level.