MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. The allegations that the suspension of the New START treaty allegedly drives to the world towards a nuclear disaster are completely incorrect, Chairman of the Federation Council’s Defense and Security Committee Viktor Bondarev said at a plenary session of the upper house on Wednesday.

The Federation Council (the upper house of Russia’s parliament) unanimously approved the bill suspending the New START treaty on Wednesday.

"The world says that this decision pushes us closer towards nuclear catastrophe, but that is absolutely not true. Only a weak opponent is spoken to from the position of strength, whereas an equal dialogue is held with a strong opponent. Thanks to this decision, they will have an equal dialogue with us," Bondarev said.

According to the lawmaker, the decision will help to strengthen Russia’s defense capabilities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a bill suspending Russia’s participation in the New START treaty to the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma. Earlier on Wednesday, the legislators adopted the bill unanimously. The New START treaty is being suspended, and the decision to resume Russia’s participation in the treaty will be made by the Russian president. The law is due to come into effect on the date of its official publication.

The treaty between the United States and Russia on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the New START Treaty) was signed in Prague in 2010.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his address to the Federal Assembly said that Russia would suspend its participation in the New START treaty, but wouldn’t withdraw from it. The head of state said that before returning to the discussion of compliance with the treaty, Russia should understand how the arsenals of not only the United States, but also other NATO nuclear powers — the UK and France — will be accounted for by the treaty.