Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to maintain the limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons under the New START Treaty for one year beyond its February 2026 expiry if the United States agrees to the same.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Putin’s proposal sounded ‘pretty good,’ adding that US President Donald Trump would address the offer himself.
The 2010 New START Treaty caps the size of the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, restricting deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 and delivery vehicles to 700 on each side. The treaty could originally only be extended once by five years, which Putin and former US President Joe Biden agreed to implement in 2021, prompting Putin to appeal to Trump for a voluntary one-year rollover.
Putin made the offer public during a meeting of his Security Council, stating that Russia is prepared to adhere to the central numerical limits under the treaty for one year and will later decide whether to maintain these voluntary restrictions. Trump has previously expressed a desire to uphold the limits after the treaty expires.
The proposal comes amid ongoing pressures regarding the war in Ukraine and calls from Trump for Russia to agree to stronger measures. Putin described the extension as beneficial for global non-proliferation and a potential catalyst for renewed dialogue with Washington on arms control. Putin noted that the measure would only be effective if the United States acts similarly and avoids undermining the balance of deterrence capabilities.
Differences over Ukraine have delayed talks on renewing or overhauling the treaty, though Trump has suggested interest in a new nuclear arms control deal, including China, which has declined to participate. China’s foreign ministry welcomed Russia’s ‘positive attitude’ toward the treaty extension, urging both the US and Russia to continue reducing nuclear arsenals ‘in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding manner.’
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