Overview

• President Vladimir Putin said Russia is prepared to keep New START’s strategic limits for one year after the treaty expires on February 5, 2026, if the United States takes matching steps.
• He conditioned the pledge on Washington avoiding measures that would upset the existing balance of deterrence.
• Putin told a Kremlin security council meeting that abandoning the treaty’s legacy would be short-sighted.
• He ordered relevant ministries to monitor U.S. actions and said any final decision will follow further analysis.
• New START remains the only U.S.–Russia nuclear arms-control agreement and caps deployed strategic warheads at 1,550.