russia says it may not renew nuke treaty with US after 2026 expiration

russia's ministry of foreign affairs stated that the New START Treaty (Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty) with the USA may cease to be valid after 2026.

russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said this in an interview with the russian state media RIA Novosti, Reuters reports.

When asked if russia could envisage there being no nuclear arms control treaty after 2026, Ryabkov said, "This is quite a possible scenario."

That means the last remaining pillar of bilateral nuclear arms control could expire in 2026 without a replacement. russia explains the possible decision in connection to US efforts to inflict "strategic defeat" on Moscow in Ukraine.

As for the US position, Washington has said it wants to reach a follow-on agreement with russia.

Ryabkov, russia's top arms control diplomat, claimed the United States had ignored russia's interests and dismantled most of the architecture of arms control in recent years, citing military aid to Ukraine.

"New START may well fall victim to this," Ryabkov told RIA. "We are ready for such a scenario."

Both russia and the United States still have vast arsenals of nuclear weapons, which are currently partially limited by the 2011 New START Treaty. russia and the United States, which were constrained by arms control agreements during the Cold War, still account for about 90% of the world's nuclear warheads.

US-russian negotiations on resuming inspections under the New START Treaty, which expires in February 2026, were canceled at the last moment in November 2022. Neither side has agreed on a time frame for new negotiations.

The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, which was extended for five years in 2021, remains the only active arms control treaty between russia and the United States.

Signed in 2010 for ten years, START Treaty-3 limits the strategic carriers and nuclear warheads of russia and the United States to 700 and 1,550, respectively. The contract can be extended for five years in case of goodwill of each of the signatories.

Donald Trump's administration has been reluctant to extend the treaty, but his successor, Joe Biden, has agreed to extend New START.

"Expiration of the Treaty without a follow-on agreement would leave russia free to expand strategic nuclear forces that are now constrained, as well as novel intercontinental-range and regional systems that are not currently limited by the Treaty," according to the US Nuclear Posture Review. "russia is pursuing several novel nuclear-capable systems designed to hold the US homeland or Allies and partners at risk, some of which are also not accountable under New START."