Negotiations on New US-Russia strategic arms treaty may take years

Negotiations regarding a new arms control agreement between the United States and Russia could take several years and finalising a new deal before the current lapses on February 5, 2026, is likely to be difficult, Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl Kimball told RIA Novosti.

"But negotiating a new, formal nuclear arms control agreement before New START expires would be difficult to hammer out and could require sustained talks over many months, if not years, of sustained, expert-level talks to achieve," Kimball said.

Kimball expressed appreciation for US President Donald Trump's interest and Russian President Vladimir Putin's readiness to negotiate a deal aimed at limiting and reducing the nuclear arsenals of their respective countries. He observed, however, that establishing a formal agreement is the most effective way to avert a "costly and dangerous unconstrained nuclear arms race."

Signed in 2010 and extended until February 5, 2026, the New START Treaty serves as a cornerstone of strategic stability between the US and Russia and primarily focuses on limiting the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems.

In February 2023, Putin announced the suspension of Russia's participation in the New START Treaty, stating that Russia would not allow the US and NATO to inspect its nuclear facilities as Washington was not abiding by the terms of the treaty and was trying to undermine Russia's national security.

In January, Russian Strategic Missile Forces Commander Col Gen Sergei Karakaev did not rule out the possibility that Russia could increase the number of warheads on deployed carriers in response to comparable US actions, saying, however, that Russia intends to maintain the number of its nuclear warheads at the level of the New START Treaty limits.

Sputnik