• Putin proposes to uphold New START treaty limits for one additional year.
• The offer is contingent on reciprocal action from the U.S. and aims to maintain global stability.
• White House describes the proposal as sounding "pretty good" and indicates Trump will address it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia is ready to adhere to the nuclear arms limits of the New START Treaty for one year beyond its expiration in February 2026, urging the U.S. to reciprocate this proposal. He emphasized that the collapse of the treaty would jeopardize global stability and increase the risk of a strategic arms race, expressing that "a complete rejection of the legacy of this treaty would ... be a mistaken and shortsighted step" according to Newsweek, Reuters, and TRT Global.

Putin discussed the proposal during a televised meeting with the Security Council and reiterated that Russia expects the same commitment from Washington, stating, "We believe that this measure will only be viable if the United States acts in a similar manner" according to India Times and LA Times.

The New START Treaty, initially signed in 2010, caps both countries at 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 nuclear delivery vehicles. Its continuation is crucial to preventing an arms race, especially as inspections under the treaty have been suspended since 2020 due to the pandemic and ongoing geopolitical tensions. Russia's adherence to nuclear limits amid heightened scrutiny, particularly regarding Ukraine, has been viewed as a strategic move to reshape dialogue with Washington, as noted by South China Morning Post and Reuters.

The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, further expressed that allowing the treaty to expire could lead to detrimental risks for international security, highlighting the urgency of the proposal. Peskov stated that Russia would need to take "unspecified measures" if the U.S. does not agree to the extension, emphasizing that both nations share the largest nuclear arsenals globally and must avoid escalating tensions, as mentioned in Dawn and India Times.