DDG has ALWAYS been powered by google (and some other services) behind the scenes. They don't run an actual search engine infrastructure (at least not much of one), they're too small a company to do that. Instead they build a layer of privacy and features ON TOP OF other search engines/services. It's not a nuclear arms deal it's the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. I don't know if it's official yet but POTUS said he will pull us out of it.