New START treaty extension is a ‘good idea,’ Trump says
Donald Trump called Russian leader Vladimir Putin's proposal to extend the New START Treaty—the last major nuclear arms control pact—a "good idea." The treaty expires in February 2026.
Mr Trump made the statement at the White House, ahead of a visit to the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia.
"To me, it sounds like a good idea," Mr Trump said, according to Reuters.
During a session of the Russian Security Council, Mr Putin said Russia was prepared to adhere to the agreement for at least one more year after it expires on 5 February 2026.
Mr Putin noted that the expiry of New START would mean the end of the last international agreement directly limiting strategic nuclear arsenals and missiles. "Completely abandoning the legacy of this agreement would be, in many respects, a mistake and a short-sighted move," the Kremlin leader remarked.
The New START Treaty was signed in 2010 by the then-presidents of Russia and the United States, Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama, and was extended in 2021 for a five-year period.
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, Mr Putin has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons. In recent years, Russia has revised its nuclear doctrine and deployed nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus.
In February 2023, Moscow suspended its participation in New START, accusing NATO of involvement in attacks on Russian strategic facilities.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
