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US and Russia Negotiate Informal Deal to Maintain Nuclear Arms Limits

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Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk
Cyril Barabaltchouk
News Writer
Russian Topol-M intercontinental ballistic misiles drive through Red Square during the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, 2010. (Source: Getty Images)
Russian Topol-M intercontinental ballistic misiles drive through Red Square during the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, 2010. (Source: Getty Images)

The US and Russia are in the final stages of negotiations for a deal to extend the New START arms control treaty beyond its expiration on February 5, according to an Axios report, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

While a draft plan is in place, approval from both US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is still pending.

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The New START treaty , which limits the number of nuclear warheads deployed by both nations, is the last major agreement constraining their nuclear arsenals, which together account for about 85% of the world’s warheads, according to Axios.

Recent talks in Abu Dhabi, involving Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, focused on a practical agreement to continue observing the treaty’s terms for at least six months while further negotiations on a potential new deal take place.

However, the extension will not be legally formalized, and the treaty will formally expire on February 5. The US government confirmed that discussions about updating the treaty would continue in good faith, Axios wrote.

The talks come amid the US European Command announcing the resumption of military-to-military dialogue with Russia after a suspension in 2021 in the lead-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Despite these ongoing talks, there are concerns from the US about China’s growing nuclear arsenal, which is not currently constrained by New START. The US has emphasized the need for arms control agreements that include China, though Beijing has shown little interest in such discussions, Axios reported.

Earlier, Russia had announced that it no longer considers itself bound by nuclear weapon restrictions following the expiration of the New START (SNO-3) treaty.

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The Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, also known as the New START Treaty, enhances U.S. national security by placing verifiable limits on all Russian deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons. The United States and the Russian Federation have agreed to extend the treaty through February 4, 2026.

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