Russia, U.S. Negotiators Agree To Start New Arms Talks After New START Expires
Kremlin says Russian and U.S. negotiators agreed in Abu Dhabi to promptly begin talks after New START expired on Feb. 5, 2026.
ABC NewsRussia and US discussed nuclear arms and agreed talks need to start soon, Kremlin says
Associated PressRussia and US discussed nuclear arms and agreed talks need to start soon, Kremlin says
NewsmaxRussia, US Agree Talks Needed After Nuclear Pact Expires
Al JazeeraTrump rejects call from Russia’s Putin to extend cap on nuclear deployments
Overview
Russian and U.S. negotiators agreed in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 5, 2026, to start new arms control talks promptly after the New START treaty expired, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
New START terminated on Feb. 5, 2026, removing legal limits of 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, raising fears of an unconstrained arms race, records show.
U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Feb. 5 that the U.S. should pursue a "new, improved, and modernized" treaty and called for China’s inclusion, according to his post.
U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno told the Conference on Disarmament on Feb. 5 that the lapse marks the "end of an era" of U.S. restraint and accused China of covert nuclear testing, which China’s Ambassador Shen Jian disputed.
U.S. and Russian officials also agreed on Feb. 5 to reestablish high-level military-to-military dialogue to pursue successor talks, and analysts warned negotiations face hurdles including China’s refusal to join, U.S. Europe Command said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage largely neutrally, attributing claims and balancing U.S., Russian and Chinese perspectives while supplying treaty context. Loaded language appears mainly in direct quotes (Trump’s Truth Social post; DiNanno’s accusations), which are source content. Editorial choices favor factual chronology and attribution without overt evaluative framing.
FAQ
New START was the 2010 Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, which limited the US and Russia to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, with verification measures.
It capped deployed strategic warheads at 1,550 and deployed delivery vehicles (missiles and bombers) at 700 for both the US and Russia.
No legally binding limits on US and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals remain, ending over 50 years of bilateral arms control, increasing risks of an arms race and reduced transparency due to halted inspections and data exchanges.[1]
Trump posted on Truth Social calling for a 'new, improved, and modernized' treaty that includes China.[story]
Hurdles include China's refusal to join, US accusations of Chinese covert nuclear testing (disputed by China), and past suspensions of treaty participation by Russia.[story][3]
