Trump Prioritizes ‘Better Agreement’ Over Extending US-Russia Nuclear Pact
Trump dismisses expiring US-Russia nuclear pact, eyes better agreement including China.
President Donald Trump has indicated a readiness to allow the final major nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia to lapse without renewal, prioritizing negotiations for a more advantageous successor that incorporates additional nations.
In remarks from an interview with The New York Times conducted on Wednesday and published on Thursday, Trump responded dismissively to questions about the impending expiration of the New START treaty, stating, "If it expires, it expires." He emphasized confidence in securing improved terms, declaring, "We'll just do a better agreement."
The New START treaty, signed in 2010 and extended once in 2021 for five years, represents the last bilateral agreement capping strategic nuclear arsenals. It is scheduled to expire on February 5, 2026, limiting each side to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads and 700 delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers. Without a replacement, both nations could pursue unrestricted expansion of their forces.
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Trump specifically highlighted the need to involve China in future arrangements, noting Beijing's rapidly modernizing and expanding nuclear capabilities. He suggested that any new pact should include "a couple of other players" to reflect current global nuclear dynamics, as China's arsenal, though smaller, is growing at a pace that could alter strategic balances in the coming years.
This position comes amid Russia's earlier proposal in September 2025 for both countries to voluntarily adhere to New START's limits for one additional year post-expiration, an offer that Trump has not accepted. Analysts warn that allowing the treaty to end without constraints risks accelerating an arms race between the world's two largest nuclear powers, potentially destabilizing international security and increasing the prospects of miscalculation in crises.
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