President Vladimir Putin stated Moscow wants to extend the offer if Washington concurs, in order to prevent an arms race.|Picture Credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE/Reuters
Russia is using the United States an offer that would extend by one year the last staying nuclear arms treaty in between the 2 nations, called New START.
Here is a take a look at what’s at stake and what presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have actually stated so far on the concern.
WHAT DOES THE NEW START TREATY SAY AND WHEN DOES IT EXPIRE?
Signed by then-presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, the treaty caps the variety of tactical nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia can release.
Each is restricted to no greater than 1,550 such warheads, and an optimum of 700 long-range rockets and bombers to provide them. Strategic weapons are those created by each side to strike the opponent’s centres of military, financial, and political power.
New START entered force in 2011 and was extended in 2021 for 5 more years after U.S. President Joe Biden took workplace. In 2023, Putin suspended Russia’s involvement, however Moscow stated it would continue to observe the warhead limitations.
The treaty ends on February 5 next year and the 2 nations, which broke off discussion on nuclear problems after Russia got into Ukraine in 2022, have actually not held talks on what takes place after that. Security experts anticipate both sides to breach the limitations if it is not extended or changed.
WHO HAS THE MOST NUCLEAR WEAPONS?
According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia and the United States have actually approximated military stockpiles of 4,309 and 3,700 nuclear warheads, respectively. China tracks with around 600.
WHAT IS PUTIN PROPOSING NOW?
Putin stated on Monday that Russia was prepared to follow the limitations of New START for another year “to avoid provoking a further strategic arms race and to ensure an acceptable level of predictability and restraint”This would use just if the U.S. concurred to do the exact same, he stated.
WHAT HAS TRUMP SAID?
Trump stated for the very first time in July he want to preserve the limitations embeded in New START, stating it was “not an agreement you want expiring” which getting rid of the constraints would develop a “big problem”The following month Trump stated that China ought to likewise be associated with arms manage talks, with the supreme goal of “denuclearization”
Beijing, nevertheless, stated it was unreasonable and impractical to ask it to go into nuclear disarmament settlements with Russia and the U.S., which have much bigger toolboxes.
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO EXTENDING NEW START?
In his remarks on Monday, Putin particularly pointed out U.S. rocket defence strategies – a recommendation to Trump’s prepared Golden Dome guard targeted at obstructing risks from Russia and China.
“We will proceed on the basis that the practical implementation of such destabilising actions could nullify our efforts to maintain the status quo in the field of START. We will respond accordingly,” he stated.
Trump stated in May he had actually chosen a style for the $175-billion Golden Dome task which would develop a network of satellites, maybe numbering in the hundreds, to discover, track and possibly obstruct inbound rockets.
WHO WOULD GAIN FROM EXTENDING NEW START?
Both sides, possibly, since it would permit more time to work out a follower treaty and prevent – or a minimum of hold off – a costly brand-new arms race. After an August top in Alaska that stopped working to yield any concrete outcomes, Putin and Trump might likewise provide it as a concrete action to pacify stress and part of a broader effort to normalise relations in between the 2 nations.
From Putin’s perspective, nuclear diplomacy with the U.S. is appealing since he can take on with Trump in a location where Russia has the benefit in regards to large varieties of warheads: its nuclear status far surpasses its traditional military power.
The Kremlin leader would likely cast a New START extension as proof that Moscow is acting as an accountable worldwide gamer, at a time when Trump has actually criticised him over an absence of development towards ending the Ukraine war, and Kyiv and its European allies are stating he is not severe about desiring peace.
Released on September 22, 2025
