Arya News - The United States and Russia can launch talks on nuclear disarmament even after the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), Executive Director of the Arms Control Association Daryl Kimball told Sputnik.
The New START treaty between the US and Russia expires on February 5. “Even with the end of New START, it is not too late for the leaders of the two countries to put the world on a safer path by taking commonsense actions to build down the nuclear danger and launch serious and sustained nuclear disarmament negotiations,” Kimball said. He highlighted the necessity to invite other countries, including China, the UK, and France, to the negotiation table. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously announced that Russia was prepared to continue adhering to the New START restrictions for one year after February 5, 2026. He explained that steps to comply with the treaty"s restrictions would be effective if the United States reciprocated. As several media outlets reported, US President Donald Trump called Putin"s New START proposal a good idea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on January 29 that the United States has not yet responded to Russia"s initiative under the treaty. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said on January 29 that Beijing welcomes Russia"s positive approach about a year-long extension of responsibilities under the New START.