Summary On February 22, 2023, Mainichi Shimbun published the interview “Russia’s New START Statement ‘Highly Political’” with Professor Nobumasa Akiyama, Dean of Hitotsubashi University’s School of International a­nd Public Policy a­nd GGR researcher. In the interview, Professor Akiyama explained how the recent statement by President Putin regarding the New START treaty does not drastically change the current situation. Rather, he described it as being a “highly political” move by Putin who felt it necessary to send a strong message to the world in wake of President Biden’s unexpected visit to Ukraine a­nd the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion. Professor Akiyama suggested that Putin’s aim might be to sway the political sphere within the U.S. by creating a conflict between those who support the New START treaty a­nd those who advocate for a withdrawal from it. In any case, recent tensions have made further negotiations for a successor treaty difficult a­nd pose a major threat to further disarmament movements in the global community.