“It sounds like a good idea,” Trump said on October 5 when asked by a reporter about his response to Putin’s offer to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).
Late last month, Putin announced that Russia was willing to adhere to the key limitations of the treaty for one more year starting February 5, 2026—the date when the current agreement is set to expire—provided that the United States does the same. “The collapse of the treaty would have negative consequences for global stability,” Putin warned.
Signed in April 2010 and effective since February 2011, New START was extended for an additional five years in 2021, shortly after President Joe Biden took office. The treaty caps each side at no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and nuclear-capable bombers, and limits the number of nuclear warheads deployed on those systems to 1,550.
Without renewal or a replacement agreement, both Russia and the United States could exceed these limits. Analysts note that adhering to New START’s restrictions could help the two powers avoid or delay a potential new arms race once the treaty expires.
Earlier this year, Trump expressed his desire to pursue denuclearization talks with both Russia and China. He later directed the Pentagon to develop an ambitious new missile defense system, known as America’s “Golden Dome.”