Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended the New Start nuclear arms treaty:

“Vladimir Putin announced today that Russia is killing the New START nuclear arms treaty after violating it with impunity for years. President Biden never should have extended this treaty, which handcuffed the United States while allowing Russia to cheat and China to expand its arsenal. Russia’s actions underscore the urgent need for U.S. nuclear modernization to meet the threat of our adversaries’ growing stockpiles.”