Russia ready to adhere to restrictions under New START Treaty for 1 year after its expiration: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his country is ready to adhere to the central quantitative restrictions under the New START Treaty between Moscow and Washington for a year after its expiration in early 2026.

During a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council in Moscow, Putin said that the New START Treaty will expire on Feb. 5, 2026, marking the “imminent demise of the last international agreement directly limiting nuclear missile capabilities.”

Putin argued that a complete rejection of the deal signed in April 2010 would be wrong and “short-sighted” from many perspectives, and would also negatively impact the goals of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

He said that Moscow believes it is justified to attempt to maintain the status quo established by the New START Treaty during this “rather turbulent period” to avoid “provoking a further strategic arms race and to ensure an acceptable level of predictability and restraint.”

“Therefore, Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the central quantitative limitations of the New START Treaty for one year after February 5, 2026,” Putin expressed, adding they will later make a decision on continuing the restrictions based on an analysis of the situation.

“We believe that this measure will only be viable if the US acts in a similar manner and does not take steps that undermine or violate the existing balance of deterrence potentials,” Putin noted.

The Russian president also said that his country is capable of responding to any “existing or emerging threats,” and that it would do so not only with words, but also through “military-technical measures.”