Russia Says It Will Honor Nuclear Limits from Expired Treaty if U.S. Does the Same

Russia announced on Wednesday that it would continue to abide by the nuclear weapons limits outlined in the now-expired New START treaty with the United States, as long as Washington respects the same restrictions.

The New START agreement, the last remaining arms control pact between the world’s two largest nuclear powers, officially expired earlier this month. Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered a one-year extension of the treaty’s limits on deployed nuclear arsenals, but the United States did not respond.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov clarified Moscow’s position, saying the country was not rushing to develop or deploy additional nuclear weapons. His statement reversed comments from last week suggesting Russia no longer considered itself bound by the treaty.

“We proceed from the fact that this moratorium, which was announced by our president, remains in effect, but only while the United States does not exceed the outlined limits,” Lavrov told Russia’s parliament.

Both Moscow and Washington have expressed interest in negotiating a new arms control agreement. The U.S. is pushing for China to be included in the discussions, citing its growing nuclear arsenal. Russia has countered that if China joins, the nuclear forces of U.S. allies, Britain and France, should also be considered.

The expiration of New START, which limited each country to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads, marks the first time in decades that no treaty constrains the positioning of the world’s most powerful weapons. Experts warn this could spark a renewed nuclear arms race.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump had previously criticized New START as “badly negotiated” and “grossly violated.” In 2023, Russia refused inspections of its nuclear sites under the treaty amid rising tensions with the United States over the conflict in Ukraine, though it maintained adherence to the numerical limits.