The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia will expire in February 2026.
While answering questions in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin dangled the possibility of extending it.
The cost of the nuclear arms control treaty was subtle but clear.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - SEPTEMBER 25 (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his papers during the State Council’s Presidium at the Kremlin’s Senate Palace, September 25, 2024, in Moscow, Russia. Putin holds a meeting with officials and ministers on export development.© (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)
PutinsuspendedRussias participation in the treaty in 2023.
According to the Russian state-backed news agency TASS, Putin hasput New STARTback on the table.
Everyone has probably forgotten about it, Putin said.
Negotiations between the White House and the Kremlin to end the war have been ongoing in Saudi Arabia.
Kyiv is noticeably absent from the table.
Do they want to sit here at the negotiating table and be mediators between Russia and the United States?
Why the hysteria here?
It is misplaced, Putin said.
Nuclear diplomacy is all about signaling.
Both the United States and Russia have more than 5,000 nuclear weapons each.
Thats enough to destroy the entire world several times over.
New START limited the amount of strategic nuclear weapons the U.S. and Russia could deploy.
COVID-19 eliminated on-site inspections and things never quite got back on track.
Putin suspended Russias participation in 2023.
But Trump also spent his first termshreddingthe existing nuclear arms control treaties.
On February 19, the U.S. did its own bit of nuclear signaling.
By all accounts, it went well.
It also provides confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nations nuclear deterrence mission.
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