Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a voluntary one-year extension of the limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons established under the New START treaty, set to expire next February, if the U.S. agrees to do the same.
The 2010 accord caps each country’s deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 and limits delivery systems—including missiles, submarines, and bombers—to 700. The treaty was previously extended for five years in 2021 by Putin and then-U.S. President Joe Biden, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the central numerical limits under the New START Treaty for one year after February 5, 2026,” Putin said during a Security Council meeting in Moscow. “Subsequently, based on an analysis of the situation, we will decide whether to maintain these voluntary, self-imposed restrictions.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Putin’s offer as “pretty good,” while noting that U.S. President Donald Trump, who has previously expressed concern about the treaty’s future, would personally respond. In July, Trump indicated he wanted to maintain the limits after the treaty’s expiration.
Putin framed the move as a step toward global non-proliferation and a way to encourage dialogue with Washington on arms control. He emphasized that the extension would only be viable if the U.S. acted similarly and did not undermine the balance of deterrence capabilities.
The proposal comes amid ongoing tensions over Ukraine. Trump has pressed Putin to end the conflict, while Moscow has maintained that arms control discussions would only proceed if broader U.S.-Russia relations improved. Talks on renewing or overhauling the treaty have not yet begun, and Trump has expressed interest in a new nuclear deal potentially including China—a prospect Beijing has rejected.
China’s foreign ministry welcomed Russia’s initiative, calling it a “positive attitude” and urging both the U.S. and Russia to continue reducing nuclear arsenals in a verifiable, irreversible, and legally binding manner.