Overview
- Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Putin’s September 22 proposal should not be read as an invitation to fully or partially extend New START.
- She noted the treaty contains no re‑extension mechanism and that any legal return would require separate negotiations and ratification.
- Zakharova reiterated that New START remains suspended under Russian law and is slated to reach its term on February 5, 2026.
- Russia proposes preserving mutual quantitative caps on a voluntary basis after the treaty’s expiry, with Moscow saying it is currently observing those limits.
- At the Valdai forum, President Vladimir Putin described talks as tough and said outcomes are uncertain even if Washington accepted a one‑year extension concept, citing unresolved questions over what constitutes a strategic weapon.