US President Donald Trump rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to extend limits on strategic nuclear weapons after a key treaty expired. The agreement had controlled nuclear deployments for more than two decades.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Rather than extend “New START … we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,” making it clear that he wants a fresh deal instead of continuing the old one.

What the New START treaty covered

The US and Russia signed the New START treaty in 2010. Then US President Joe Biden and Putin extended it in 2021 for five more years. The treaty limited each country to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads. It also capped the number of missiles, launchers, and delivery systems.

Now that the treaty has expired, no binding limits remain on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals. This has happened for the first time in more than 50 years. Experts warn that the situation could trigger a new arms race between the two countries.

At the same time, some leaders in the US argue that the agreement stopped Washington from building enough weapons to counter threats from Russia and China.

Putin’s proposal and Trump’s stand

Putin suggested that both sides continue to follow the treaty’s limits for one more year. He proposed keeping the cap of 1,550 warheads on 700 delivery systems, including missiles, aircraft, and submarines.

Trump turned down the idea. He has said earlier that he supports keeping some limits on nuclear weapons. However, he believes any future agreement must also include China.

In his post, Trump called New START “a badly negotiated deal” and said it “is being grossly violated.” He appeared to refer to Russia’s 2023 decision to stop on-site inspections and other verification steps that ensured both sides followed the treaty.

Putin had defended that move. He blamed US support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia after the 2022 invasion.

Russia signals readiness for dialogue

The Kremlin said Russia is open to talks if the US responds positively. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “Listen, if there are any constructive replies, of course we will conduct a dialogue.”

Global concern over treaty’s future

The United Nations has urged both countries to restore the agreement or replace it with a new one. The expiry has raised concerns about global nuclear stability.

Some reports say Washington and Moscow may continue to follow the treaty’s limits voluntarily for a short time, possibly up to six months. However, it remains unclear whether they will formalise this plan or keep it as an informal understanding.