Russia will continue to abide by nuclear arms limits set under the New START treaty for one year after the agreement expires in February, President Vladimir Putin has announced, calling on Washington to follow suit.
Speaking at a televised meeting with Russia’s Security Council on Monday, Putin warned that the collapse of the pact would carry “negative consequences for global stability.”
He said Moscow was prepared to honour the restrictions unilaterally but made clear that reciprocity from the US was essential.
“Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the central quantitative limitations of the New START Treaty for one year after February 5, 2026,” Putin said.
“We expect the United States to act with the same responsibility.”
The New START treaty
The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by then US president Barack Obama and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, is the last remaining arms control accord between the two nuclear powers.
It caps each side at 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, backed by inspections and data sharing.
The treaty was extended once before, in 2021, for five years.
Its expiry without a successor would mark the first time in decades that Washington and Moscow operate without any binding nuclear arms limits.
