Russia warns of legal gap as new START treaty nears expiry

Russia says the US has yet to respond to its proposal to extend the New START Treaty, warning of a legal gap in global strategic stability.

Jan 29, 2026

The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is approaching its expiration, and the United States has yet to respond to Russia’s proposal to extend the agreement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

“We keep waiting, but the deadline is running out. There was no response from the United States,” Peskov told reporters, noting that Moscow will continue observing how the situation around the treaty unfolds.

Peskov emphasized that negotiating a new agreement to replace the New START would be a long and complex process, involving numerous considerations.

“From the point of view of the deficit, the deficit of the legal framework in this area, it will arise. This will be a serious deficit, which is unlikely to respond with interest to the people of our two countries, as well as the entire globe, because we are talking about global strategic stability,” he said.

The Kremlin spokesman further stressed that the absence of a legal foundation for strategic stability would not serve the interests of Russia, the United States, or the broader international community.

Read more: The Looming Threat of Nuclear War

In November of 2025, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Washington was considering President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to maintain the restrictions outlined in the New START treaty.

“There has been no substantive response from Washington yet. As we were told through diplomatic channels, the matter is under consideration,” Lavrov said.

The Russian minister highlighted that the ideais straightforward and doesn’t hold any hidden agendas, adding that implementation of the treaty should be simple and not require prolonged discussions.

“The constructive initiative put forward by President Putin in the post-New START sphere speaks for itself. It has no hidden agenda and is extremely easy to understand. Its practical implementation will not require any specific additional efforts. Therefore, we see no need for in-depth discussion of our idea,” he said.

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