Trump Pursues Fresh Nuclear Arms Deal with Russia
US President Donald Trump has advocated for the establishment of a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia, as the current New START agreement between the two countries approaches expiration, raising apprehensions regarding the potential onset of a new arms race. “Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (a poorly negotiated agreement by the United States that, among other issues, is being significantly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can endure well into the future,” Trump posted Thursday on social media. The pact — formally known as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty — was a continuation of initiatives aimed at diminishing the nuclear weapons stockpiles accumulated throughout the Cold War. The deal expired on Thursday, raising the possibility that the US and Russia could potentially pursue new nuclear weapons without the constraints of any diplomatic agreement as geopolitical tensions between Washington and Moscow escalate.
The United States and Russia formalized the agreement in 2010, succeeding the START treaty established in 1991. New START commenced on February 5, 2011, originally set for a duration of 10 years, which was subsequently extended for an additional five years in 2021. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Thursday that she is not aware of any temporary agreement to adhere to the terms of New START as the US pursues negotiations for a new accord. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated, “I would adhere to the terms of the treaty for another year once it expired if Washington did the same.” Trump did not provide a formal response to that idea. Putin suspended formal participation in 2023, halting inspections and exchanges following his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since the war began, Putin has repeatedly threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons — which, unlike “strategic” nuclear weapons, are not governed by the New START agreement — and even went as far as stationing tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
New START stands as the final significant arms-control treaty between the US and Russia. Under its terms, the two countries committed to reducing the number of deployed “strategic” nuclear warheads — long-range weapons that can reach each other’s territory — to 1,550 each. They also reached an agreement to restrict the number of warhead delivery platforms, including intercontinental ballistic missiles and heavy bombers, to a maximum of 700. In a statement released late Wednesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry indicated that it believed the two parties “are no longer bound by any obligations or symmetrical declarations within the context of the treaty” and are “free to choose their next steps.” Nonetheless, Moscow “remains open to the search for political and diplomatic ways to comprehensively stabilize the strategic situation,” it stated. Further complicating any potential negotiation, Trump has previously stated, “We need to include China — the main geopolitical and military competitor to the US — in any new nuclear agreement.” Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that perspective.
“Obviously, the president’s been clear in the past that in order to have true arms control in the 21st century, it’s impossible to do something that doesn’t include China because of their vast and rapidly growing stockpile,” Rubio told on Wednesday in Washington. Beijing has firmly opposed that notion. “China’s nuclear strength is by no means at the same level with that of the US,” Lin Jian told. 3 briefing. “It is neither fair nor reasonable to ask China to join the nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage.” Republicans have dismissed the Democrats’ demands regarding ICE, increasing the likelihood of a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security.
