Russia Cautions Against Letting Nuclear Arms Treaty with U.S. Expire

The Russian government has voiced concerns about the potential global dangers of allowing the New START nuclear arms treaty with the United States to lapse in early February.
During a press briefing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia may be compelled to take certain measures if Washington does not agree to President Vladimir Putin’s proposal made on Monday. Putin suggested that both countries should continue to follow the treaty’s limits on strategic nuclear weapons for one more year.
New START, which remains the last active nuclear arms agreement between Moscow and Washington, is set to expire on February 5. Peskov noted that reaching a new agreement in time is unlikely, which is why Putin recommended extending adherence to the current warhead limits.

“Time… is running out, and we are truly on the threshold of a situation where we could be left without any bilateral documents regulating strategic stability and security, which, of course, is fraught with great dangers from a global perspective,” Peskov said.

He also mentioned that Putin’s proposal had not been discussed ahead of time with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The U.S. administration reacted positively on Monday, saying that Putin’s suggestion sounded “pretty good,” and confirmed that President Trump would take it under consideration.
Continuing to observe the treaty’s limits could help both nations avoid—or at least delay—a costly nuclear arms race that many experts believe could happen if the treaty expires without a replacement.
The move could also be presented by both leaders as a diplomatic success, particularly following recent high-level talks, including a summit in Alaska in August, which failed to make headway on resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
Putin made it clear that Russia would only continue to honor the treaty’s restrictions if the United States reciprocates.

“If they are not complied with on the other side, then, of course, measures will have to be taken,” Peskov said, declining to specify what those actions might be.

He added that there is currently no information on when the two presidents might speak again.
The United States and Russia possess the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. Under the New START treaty, each country is limited to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads and 700 delivery systems, which include intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines, and heavy bombers.