US president says that he desires to barter a alternative for strategic nuclear deployment treaty that not too long ago expired.
Printed On 6 Feb 2026
United States President Donald Trump has shot down a suggestion from Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin proposing a voluntary extension of recently-expired limits on the deployment of strategic nuclear weapons.
Trump stated on Thursday that he desires negotiators from each international locations to take a seat down and hammer out a brand new settlement, calling the old treaty “badly negotiated”.
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“Moderately than prolong ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the US that, apart from every little thing else, is being grossly violated), we should always have our Nuclear Consultants work on a brand new, improved, and modernized Treaty that may final lengthy into the longer term,” Trump stated on his social media community, Fact Social.
Trump has beforehand said that he would love China to be concerned within the new treaty, however authorities in Beijing have proven little curiosity in doing so.
The expiration of the New START pact means fewer limits on the large nuclear arsenals of the US and Russia, spurring issues over a possible arms race at a time of resurgent nervousness over nuclear weapons.
Putin said final yr that he would abide by the treaty for one more yr if Washington would decide to doing the identical.
The US, which has beforehand grumbled that the treaty restricted its capability to deploy extra missiles towards Russia and China, has ignored the Russian provide.
Moscow expressed remorse on Thursday over the expiration of the decades-long treaty. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Russia will proceed with a “accountable, thorough strategy to stability on the subject of nuclear weapons”, including that “in fact, it is going to be guided primarily by its nationwide pursuits”.
Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi, reporting from Washington, DC, stated US and Russian delegations, who have been in Abu Dhabi to debate the battle in Ukraine, reportedly additionally mentioned extending the New START treaty for six months.
“It could be a casual handshake deal because the treaty itself doesn’t permit for any additional extensions,” Rattansi stated.
“As soon as that extension is in place, although, the intention is to start formal discussions to craft an up to date nuclear deal between the 2 international locations,” he stated.
Current bouts of combating between nuclear-armed states corresponding to India and Pakistan have unnerved analysts, who fear concerning the erosion of taboos and treaties meant to restrain using nuclear weapons in battle.
Putin additionally beforehand steered that Russia might use nuclear weapons in response to Western efforts to help Ukraine, inflicting alarm amongst observers.
The primary START settlement was signed by the US and the previous Soviet Union in 1991.
A treaty titled New START was signed by former US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, limiting every nation to a most of 1,550 nuclear warheads and 700 missiles and bombers deployed and prepared to be used.
That deal was prolonged for one more 5 years in 2021, following an settlement between Putin after which US-President Joe Biden.
