US Calls New START Flawed, Russia Says It Cannot Be Renewed on Previous Terms

The United States wants to secure a more advantageous arms control agreement with Russia that would also include China, US Deputy Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas D'Agostino said.

"The Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms was imperfect. It did not cover tactical nuclear weapons and did not include China,” the senior State Department official said.

D'Agostino recalled that US President Donald Trump had expressed a desire to conclude a new arms control treaty.

Medvedev: New START Cannot Be Renewed on Previous Terms

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said that Washington's assessment of the New START treaty means it cannot be renewed under the same conditions.

"The US State Department called New START "imperfect' because it did not cover tactical nuclear weapons or include China. Really? What about the United Kingdom and France? Hypersonic weapons? Washington's statement means only one thing: there will be no treaty on these terms anymore. Be honest,” Medvedev wrote on social media platform X.

History and Expiration of the Treaty

Russia and the United States signed the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms in Prague in April 2010. The agreement entered into force in February 2011.

The treaty was designed for a ten-year term with a one-time option for a five-year extension, which the parties exercised in 2021. In February 2023, Russia announced the suspension of its participation in the agreement.

Trump Calls for a New and Modernized Agreement

US President Donald Trump said that Russia and the United States should not preserve certain provisions of New START but instead develop a new agreement in this area.

"We should instruct experts to work on a new, improved, and modernized treaty that could remain in force for a long time in the future, rather than extending New START — a deal that was concluded on terms unfavorable to the United States and that is seriously violated,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

New START Officially Ends on February 5

The Russian-American New START treaty entered into force on February 5, 2011, and was extended every five years. The agreement limited the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 and intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers to 700 units.

A key element of the treaty was a system of mutual inspections, data exchanges, and notifications.

In 2021, Russia and the United States agreed to extend the treaty until 2026. However, amid the conflict in Ukraine, Russian inspectors could not obtain transit visas to travel to the United States. On February 21, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the suspension of Russia's participation in New START and later signed the corresponding law.

The treaty officially expired on February 5. For the first time in more than 50 years, Russia and the United States now have no legally binding restrictions on their strategic nuclear arsenals.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow regretted the expiration of the treaty and emphasized that Russia would continue to take a responsible and careful approach to maintaining strategic stability in the nuclear sphere.

Russia and US Plan to Adhere to Expired Treaty

Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported that Russia and the United States intend to adhere to the conditions of New START for at least six months while continuing discussions on a new agreement.

An unnamed US official confirmed that both sides had agreed to follow the treaty's terms and negotiate a replacement deal, while stressing that the agreement would not be legally renewed.

The first meeting on a future agreement has already taken place. In early February, Russian-American talks on nuclear weapons were held in Abu Dhabi alongside discussions on Ukraine, but the parties signed no documents.

China's Role Remains the Main Obstacle

The US refusal to extend New START is linked to Washington's desire to include China in the agreement. Beijing is actively expanding its nuclear arsenal, which is estimated to include more than 500 warheads deployed across its nuclear triad.

China considers its nuclear capabilities incomparable to those of Russia and the United States and therefore does not support joining the arms control framework.