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last mo.

After New START Expires, Russia Puts Onus on U.S., Offers Conditional Restraint

Moscow reaffirms willingness to mirror U.S. limits.

A woman walks past a poster that warns of the expiration of the New START treaty, in Washington, Jan. 30, 2026. In small text, the poster quotes President Donald Trump saying START is "not an agreement you want expiring."
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Overview

  • The last U.S.–Russia nuclear arms accord lapsed on Feb. 5, ending binding caps on deployed strategic forces and on-site verification.
  • Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said New START was balanced and maintained that any questions about its future belong to Washington.
  • The Kremlin’s one-year offer to observe the treaty’s numerical limits on a reciprocal basis has drawn no formal U.S. response, according to Russian officials.
  • State Duma foreign affairs chief Leonid Slutsky argued an arms race is already underway and noted New START did not cover emerging systems such as hypersonic weapons, even as he called the treaty crucial for strategic stability.
  • President Donald Trump has pressed for a broader agreement that includes China, and independent reporting says a channel for high-level U.S.–Russia military contacts was recently restored.