Nuclear arms reduction treaty expires today, Axios: US and Russia begin negotiations to renew the pact

Washington and Moscow are working on a deal to extend the New START treaty on nuclear arms reductions, Axios reported on Thursday, citing three sources familiar with the matter. The strategic arms control agreement officially expired on February 5.

Signed in 2010, the treaty places limits on the number of strategic nuclear warheads and launchers that can be deployed and creates monitoring mechanisms for Russian and American arsenals. It was originally set to expire in 2021, but was then extended for five years.

According to Axios, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff discussed the issue with the Russian delegation on the sidelines of Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi. “We agreed with Russia to act in good faith and begin a discussion about ways it could be updated,” a US official told the media. Another source claimed that the parties had agreed to respect the terms of the treaty for at least six months, while talks on a possible new agreement would continue.

Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had suggested that the treaty’s provisions be respected for another year, but its initiative “remained unanswered.” Russia will “maintain its responsible and attentive approach in the field of strategic stability and nuclear weapons,” but will always be “guided primarily by its national interests,” he said.

The UN also called the treaty's expiration "a grave moment for international peace and security." Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that "the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest in decades," while urging Moscow and Washington to negotiate a successor framework.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously proposed to his US counterpart Donald Trump a one-year extension of the treaty, but the US president said he wanted a "better" deal that also included China.

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