Putin open to one-year extension of US arms-control pact, conditional on U.S. restraint

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow is prepared to extend the New START treaty for one year beyond its expiration date in February 2026, but only if the United States agrees and does not undermine the deterrence balance. The statement, reported by Reuters, signals a potential pause in a dispute over nuclear-arms limits as the bilateral agreement nears its sunset.

Putin said Russia would continue to adhere to the central numerical limits under the treaty for one year after February 5, 2026. He stressed that the extension would be viable only if the United States acts in a similar manner and does not take steps that upset the balance of deterrence.

After the year-long extension, Moscow would assess the situation and decide whether to maintain these voluntary self-imposed restrictions.

New START, signed in 2010 and extended in 2021, caps the number of deployed strategic weapons and delivery systems for both sides, serving as the cornerstone of bilateral nuclear-arms control between Washington and Moscow. The proposed one-year extension would maintain those limits at least temporarily while both governments determine the next steps in arms-control diplomacy.

The development underscores the continued relevance of the pact as a framework for stabilizing strategic arsenals even as broader security tensions persist. Reuters framed Putin's remarks as a direct signal from Moscow that it remains interested in extending the narrow but enduring constraint on nuclear forces, contingent on reciprocal U.S. actions.