Link to my Article: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-it-awaits-us-response-important-issue-expiring-nuclear-treaty-2026-01-15/
Russia is currently waiting for a response from the United States regarding President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to informally extend the provisions of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which is set to expire in less than three weeks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow has not yet received a formal reply and considers the issue “very important.” The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by U.S. and Russian leaders, places limits on the number of strategic nuclear warheads each side can deploy and also caps the number of delivery systems such as missiles and bombers. The treaty’s limits are designed to reduce the risk of nuclear escalation and promote transparency between the world’s two largest nuclear powers. Russia wants the terms to continue for at least another year while awaiting Washington’s formal position on the proposal.
This situation is significant because it reflects growing uncertainty in global arms control at a time of heightened geopolitical tension. If the last major nuclear arms control agreement between Russia and the United States lapses without extension, it could remove long-standing limits on strategic weapons and weaken channels of transparency between the two sides. The New START treaty has served as a framework for stability and predictable restraints on nuclear arsenals for over a decade, and its expiration raises the risk of a renewed arms buildup. Russia’s public call for a reply also demonstrates how both powers may be testing each other’s political willingness to maintain some form of restraint despite broader disagreements.
Russian leadership could continue to press publicly for an extension while offering informal or unilateral adherence to treaty limits to show good faith, potentially using diplomatic channels to soften Western concerns. For the United States, Washington could issue a clear response outlining its position and conditions for an extension, possibly tying broader strategic negotiations to the Ukraine conflict or verification mechanisms. European and NATO partners could encourage both sides to preserve arms control frameworks to prevent instability, applying diplomatic pressure for continued limits. This also applies to all nuclear and non-nuclear states around the world who may also call for renewed arms control dialogue to prevent a global arms race and promote non-proliferation norms.
The New START treaty and its potential lapse illustrate how sovereign states negotiate constraints on their military capabilities to reduce the risk of conflict. Russia’s call for a reply and the U.S. response, or lack there of, highlights how authority and legitimacy play out when major powers decide whether to uphold or abandon arms control agreements. Arms control is a form of hard power, where limiting weapons becomes a tool for stability rather than coercion. The treaty’s future will shape how all states perceive nuclear norms and the credibility of international commitments.