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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wanted to seek a new nuclear treaty rather than extend the New START Treaty with Russia expiring the same day.
Trump's post on Truth Social, which touted his efforts to bolster the U.S. military, came as Reuters reported that he wants to include China in any new deal.
"Rather than extend 'NEW START' (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future," Trump said, in part.
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On Wednesday, Russia warned that it was prepared to move forward without the limitations set by the treaty first signed by President Barack Obama, after not hearing back from the U.S.
Why It Matters
The treaty was designed to continue caps on nuclear warheads and storage first established by President Richard Nixon in 1972, and its lapse on Thursday has sparked concern around the world that the two largest nuclear powers would not be beholden to restrictions any longer, despite assertions from both sides that they wanted to find a solution.
For his part, Trump has sought to create a new path for the U.S. on the world stage during his second term, having long complained that existing treaties and blocs, such as NATO, are outdated and do not serve the American people.
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What To Know
Trump's post on Thursday seeking a new treaty came after Russia indicated it wanted to temporarily extend New START while negotiations continued.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the issue with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a phone call on Wednesday, saying that Russia “will act in a balanced and responsible manner based on thorough analysis of the security situation,” per Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov.
For its part, China has said it regrets the expiration of the Russia-U.S. treaty and has called for dialogue between the two countries. Chinese officials, however, have tried to distance themselves from a three-country deal.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said on Wednesday that Trump wanted to work with China and Russia moving forward.
What Is the Current US-Russia Nuclear Treaty?
New START was signed by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev 15 years ago. The treaty restricted each side to no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads on no more than 700 missiles and bombers, deployed and ready for use.
The deal was originally supposed to expire in 2021, but Trump extended it toward the end of his first term in the White House in 2020.
In February 2023, Putin said he was ending Moscow's participation because he could not allow U.S. inspectors to visit nuclear sites when Washington and NATO allies were opposed to his 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin said it would still honor the caps set out in the treaty.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Wednesday: "Obviously, the president’s been clear in the past that in order to have true arms control in the 21st century, it’s impossible to do something that doesn’t include China because of their vast and rapidly growing stockpile."
China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian, on Wednesday: “China’s nuclear forces are not at all on the same scale as those of the U.S. and Russia, and thus China will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at the current stage."
Arms Control Association Executive Director Daryl G. Kimball, in a Wednesday press release: "If the Trump administration continues to stiff arm nuclear arms control diplomacy with Russia and decides to increase the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. deployed strategic arsenal, it will only lead Russia to follow suit and encourage China to accelerate its ongoing strategic buildup in an attempt to maintain a strategic nuclear retaliatory strike capability vis-a-vis the United States. Such a scenario could lead to a years-long, dangerous three-way nuclear arms buildup."
What Happens Next
While Trump has said he wants to push for a new treaty, negotiations on one have not yet begun. Moscow has said it stands ready to take decisive military or technical action in response to any additional threats.
Update 2/5/26, 3:14 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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