Summary On February 23, 2023, Asahi Shimbun published the interview “Withdrawal or Continuation of the New START Treaty: Putin Troubled and the U.S. Administration Put to the Test” with Professor Nobumasa Akiyama, Dean of Hitotsubashi University’s School of International and Public Policy and GGR researcher. This article was published immediately after Russia’s decision to suspend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) and U.S. President Biden’s surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Professor Akiyama commented on how he perceives Russia’s decision and why Putin acted the way he did in light of the approaching one-year anniversary of Ukraine’s invasion. Furthermore, he indicated that this could cause a political division within the U.S. as Russia’s suspension challenges the Biden administration’s agenda of disarmament. Professor Akiyama concluded on the note that further negotiations to renew the treaty could stall and further scrutinization on how the US reacts to this situation is necessary.