U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty Expires on the 5th, Russia Says It Is "No Longer Bound by Obligations"

According to Financial News, the only nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia, whose relations have frozen over the war in Ukraine in recent years, is set to expire on the 5th local time. Russia has stressed that it is no longer under any arms control obligations, while the United States has argued that nuclear disarmament without China is meaningless.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated on the 4th local time, "On the 5th, the term of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between Russia and the United States will finally come to an end." It went on, "We assume that the New START parties are no longer bound by any obligations or reciprocal declarations under the framework of the treaty, including its key provisions, and are in principle free to choose their next steps."
Russia emphasized that it "will develop its policy in the field of strategic offensive weapons based on a thorough analysis of U.S. military policy and the overall situation in the strategic domain, and intends to act in a responsible and balanced manner." At the same time, it stated that it "remains prepared to take resolute military-technical measures against any additional potential threats to national security."
However, Russia added that if appropriate conditions for cooperation emerge, it could also seek political and diplomatic ways to comprehensively stabilize the strategic situation, based on equal and reciprocal dialogue.
On April 8, 2010, then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama signed New START, which limits the number of nuclear weapons held by the two countries. The treaty entered into force on February 5 the following year and was extended once, in February 2021, for five years.
New START caps at 1,550 the total number of nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia may each deploy on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers. It also limits to 700 the number of deployed ICBMs, SLBMs, and strategic bombers, and to 800 the total number of ICBM launchers, submarines capable of launching SLBMs, and strategic bombers, regardless of whether they are deployed. The treaty further requires the two countries to share information and allow inspections.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, announced in February 2023 that it was suspending its participation in New START in protest against U.S. policy toward Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a one-year extension of New START on September 22 last year, but received no response.
Trump said in an interview with the New York Times last month, "If the agreement expires, it expires, and we will make a better deal," adding, "Maybe two or three more countries will be involved." This is seen as a reference to a plan for multilateral negotiations that would include China. At a regular press briefing on the 3rd, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, "China and the United States are at completely different levels in terms of nuclear capabilities, and at this stage it is neither fair nor reasonable to demand that China participate in nuclear disarmament talks."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press conference on the 4th, "The president’s clear view is that genuine arms control in the 21st century is impossible unless it includes China, which has a large and rapidly growing nuclear stockpile."
pjw@fnnews.com Reporter Park Jong-won Reporter