Putin extends the nuclear weapons accord with Trump for another year
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed that if the United States agreed, he would voluntarily uphold the 2010 New START accord’s deployed strategic nuclear weapons limits when they expire in February.
Putin’s proposal sounded “pretty good,” according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, but she also stated that US President Donald Trump would personally respond to the offer.
It is the final strategic nuclear weapons control agreement between the United States and Russia. Only one five-year extension was permitted, and that was agreed to be implemented in 2021 by Putin and former US President Joe Biden.
Putin made the offer public during a meeting of his Security Council, as Ukraine attempts to persuade Trump to impose more severe penalties on Russia.
“Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the central numerical limits under the New START Treaty for one year after February 5, 2026,” he stated.
“Subsequently, based on an analysis of the situation, we will make a decision on whether to maintain these voluntary, self-imposed restrictions.”
When the 2010 New START treaty expires on February 5, Trump stated in July that he would like to keep the deployed strategic nuclear weapons restrictions in place.
Many experts worry that lifting the restrictions might lead to an arms race as both countries increase their strategic weaponry deployments. Russia and the United States have by far the largest nuclear arsenals in the world.
The agreement restricts the number of strategic nuclear weapons that can be deployed to 1,550 and the number of delivery vehicles, which include bombers, submarines, and missiles, to 700 each side.
PRESSURE ON PUTIN TO END THE UKRAINE WAR
Putin claimed his plan may help start a conversation about arms control with Washington and was in the interest of international non-proliferation.
“This measure will only be viable if the United States acts in a similar manner, and does not take steps that undermine or violate the existing balance of deterrence capabilities,” Putin stated.
Trump has pressed him to agree to halt the war in Ukraine, which Moscow claims is one of several security concerns that have caused East-West relations to reach their highest point since the Cold War.
The plan seems to be a unilateral shift in strategy by Moscow, which has up to now maintained that it would only discuss such issues with Washington if relations between the two countries—which are currently hindered by sharp disagreements over the war in Ukraine—improved.
Discussions about overhauling treatment have not yet begun.
Though Trump has stated that he wants to sign a new nuclear weapons control agreement, albeit one with China as well, the two countries have not begun negotiations to extend or update the treaty due to disagreements over Ukraine.
The inclusion of it has been refused by Beijing.
Putin’s offer was described as “a positive and welcome move” by Daryl Kimball, executive director of the advocacy group Arms Control Association.
Kimball stated that Trump and Putin could “help reduce the most immediate existential security threat facing the world” and urged Washington to do the same.
According to Putin, Russia will keep an eye on U.S. nuclear arms and defense activities, including plans to strengthen missile defenses and ideas to place missile interceptors in orbit.
“The practical implementation of such destabilising actions could nullify our efforts to maintain the status quo in the field of START,” Putin stated. “We will respond accordingly.”
According to prominent Russian senator Konstantin Kosachyov, Putin was indicating to the United States that he was prepared to begin negotiations on a new arms control agreement.
Kosachyov posted on Telegram, “I hope that this signal will be heard and correctly interpreted,”.
