Faced with a world without the New START nuclear treaty, Russian President Vladimir Putin has opted for a temporary “status quo.” He announced on Monday that Moscow will voluntarily adhere to the expired pact’s nuclear limits for one more year, a decision he said was justified to prevent a new arms race and maintain stability.
This move comes after years of deteriorating U.S.-Russia relations and Moscow’s 2023 suspension of its participation in the treaty. The pact, signed by former presidents Obama and Medvedev, was a critical check on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, limiting deployed warheads to 1,550 and strategic delivery systems to 700.
Putin’s commitment to these numbers is not a blank check. He stressed that this voluntary restraint is predicated on the United States adopting a similar policy. The Russian leader explicitly stated the measure would only be “viable” if the U.S. “acts in a similar manner” and avoids disrupting the strategic balance, putting direct pressure on Washington to show its hand.
Beyond preventing escalation, Putin sees this as a potential diplomatic lubricant. He suggested that if both sides honor the limits, it could create a more favorable environment for restarting a “substantive strategic dialogue.” This positions the nuclear issue as a possible starting point for mending the severely damaged bilateral relationship.
The one-year duration of this commitment is a clear signal that this is a provisional measure. Putin noted that Russia will analyze the situation over the next year before making a subsequent decision on its nuclear posture, leaving the long-term future of arms control uncertain.