The United States and Russia are close to reaching an agreement to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty beyond its expiration. This treaty limits the number of missiles, launchers, and strategic warheads each side can have and is the last in a series of nuclear agreements starting from the Cold War. Although negotiations occurred recently in Abu Dhabi, no final agreement was made yet.
The White House did not comment on the report, but the U. S. military confirmed that discussions for military dialogue between the two countries would resume. Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that peace talks with Russia, supported by the U. S., would continue soon after another round of discussions.
It remains uncertain if the potential agreement to observe the treaty’s terms for another six months will be formalized. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed Russia’s willingness to continue discussions with the U. S. if it provides constructive responses to Russia’s proposal regarding the treaty limits.
The New START treaty, initially signed in 2010, can be extended only once, which already occurred for five years under Presidents Biden and Putin. Former President Trump, who seeks to include China in nuclear talks, has yet to outline the U. S. approach to future arms control.
With information from Reuters
