took only two years to double its nuclear arsenal, far sooner than the Department’s 2020 estimate that it would take China until 2030 to double its nuclear arsenal. (8) Even when the Russian Federation was found compliant with the New START Treaty, it developed multiple strategic nuclear-armed systems that circumvented the spirit and intent of the treaty, such as a nuclear-powered cruise missile and nuclear-powered torpedo. (9) In March 2020, the United States and the Russian Federation mutually agreed to suspend New START Treaty inspections due to the COVID–19 pandemic. (10) On February 3, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the unconditional extension of the New START Treaty for an additional five years, until February 5, 2026, the maximum extension allowed by the treaty. (11) The Russian Federation refused United States requests in August 2022 to resume New START inspections and refused to engage in the Bilateral Consultative Commission with the United States in November 2022 to work towards resuming inspections. (12) Given Russia’s refusal to resume mandatory inspections and refusal to participate in the Bilateral Consultative Commission as required by the treaty, the Department of State declared in January 2023 that Russia was noncompliant with the New START Treaty. (13) In February 2023, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would suspend its participation in the New START Treaty. The New START Treaty has no provision for suspension. Russia shortly thereafter ceased providing to the United States the data on its nuclear arsenal that is required under the treaty. (14) The United States remains in compliance with the central limits of the New START Treaty and attempted in good faith to resume mutual inspections under the treaty. (15) The United States has not deployed a new nuclear-capable delivery system in over 30 years, while the Russian Federation has in that same time deployed over a dozen new nuclear-capable delivery systems. Russia also has active