Moscow has signalled that future nuclear arms negotiations cannot exclude Britain and France, even as Russia and the United States remain the primary actors in global disarmament.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that while nuclear arms talks must begin bilaterally between Russia and the United States, the world’s two largest nuclear powers the stockpiles of Britain and France would “ultimately have to be included.” His remarks come after Moscow proposed that both Washington and Moscow voluntarily maintain New START limits for one more year once the treaty expires in 2026, provided that the U.S. agrees.
Why This Matters Now
The New START treaty, signed in 2010, caps U.S. and Russian deployed nuclear warheads at 1,550 and delivery vehicles at 700 each. With its expiration looming, and with President Vladimir Putin having suspended Russia’s participation in 2023, the future of nuclear arms control is uncertain. Including Britain and France could complicate talks but would also reflect a more comprehensive approach to global strategic stability.
Russia, Moscow seeks to broaden the scope of nuclear talks to dilute U.S. dominance and to place European nuclear powers under scrutiny. By pushing for the inclusion of Britain and France, Russia can frame the issue as one of fairness and security balance, while also complicating Western unity.
The United States, Washington remains the Kremlin’s primary counterpart in arms control. The Biden administration has signaled willingness to maintain treaty limits but faces uncertainty under President Trump’s foreign policy direction. The U.S. must decide whether widening the negotiating table strengthens or weakens its hand.
Britain and France, Both nations maintain far smaller nuclear stockpiles (estimated 250–300 warheads each) but view their deterrents as central to their security. Being drawn into talks risks limiting their autonomy and may spark domestic debates about sovereignty versus global responsibility.
NATO and European Security Community, NATO relies partly on Britain and France’s nuclear forces for deterrence, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Any move to include these arsenals in arms talks would carry implications for European defense strategy and cohesion.
Global Non-Proliferation Advocates, Arms control experts and NGOs argue that a broader negotiating framework could strengthen global disarmament, but they also warn that expanding the circle may stall progress if negotiations become too unwieldy.
What Lies Ahead
If Russia and the U.S. can agree to maintain New START limits temporarily, it could buy time for broader discussions that might eventually rope in Britain, France, and even China. However, the political realities are daunting: neither London nor Paris has shown willingness to subject their arsenals to international caps. The alternative scenario is a collapse of formal arms control altogether, leaving the world’s nuclear future governed by deterrence and rivalry rather than treaties.
With information from Reuters.
