Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautioned that the expiration of the last US-Russia nuclear weapons pact could spark a new arms race. On September 22, he stated that Moscow will continue to respect nuclear arms limits for one more year and urged the United States to do the same.
Speaking on Russian television, Putin emphasized the importance of maintaining stability, saying, "To avoid provoking a further strategic arms race and to ensure an acceptable level of predictability and restraint, it is justified to try to maintain the status quo established by the New START Treaty during this turbulent period."
Moscow plans to uphold the New START Treaty limits for one year beyond its February 5, 2026 expiry, provided Washington also maintains compliance. Putin stressed that any US actions undermining the balance of nuclear deterrence could force Russia to respond.
Background on the New START Treaty
The New START Treaty, signed by former US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, restricts each country to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers. It also allowed on-site inspections to ensure compliance, though these were paused in 2020 due to the pandemic.
In February 2023, Russia suspended participation in the treaty, citing security concerns as the US and NATO openly supported defeating Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. Despite this, Russia has pledged to honor the treaty’s warhead limits and notify the US of ballistic missile tests.
Previous US-Russia Nuclear Agreements
Another key nuclear pact, the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, was terminated in 2019. This agreement banned land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers.
Daryl G. Kimball, Director of the Arms Control Association, welcomed Putin’s statement on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “an important and positive move.” He noted that adhering to current nuclear limits could reduce tensions, prevent an expensive arms race, and allow time for negotiations on broader agreements.
US-Russia Nuclear Dialogue
US President Donald Trump previously acknowledged the looming expiration of New START, calling it "a big problem for the world" and confirmed that nuclear weapons were discussed during his summit with Putin in Alaska.
Putin also instructed Russian agencies to monitor US strategic activities closely, including the potential deployment of weapons interceptors in space. He warned that any destabilizing moves could undermine efforts to maintain strategic stability, and Russia “will respond accordingly” if necessary.
Putin concluded that honoring the treaty’s limits could support ongoing strategic dialogue with the US, provided both nations work toward normalizing relations.
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