⚡️Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Concerning the Expiration of the Russia-US New START Treaty(February 4, 2026)
On February 5, 2026, the life cycle of the Russian-US Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (#NewSTART) comes to an end; it was signed by the Parties on April 8, 2010, entered into force on February 5, 2011, and was extended for a five-year period in February 2021 on the basis of a relevant one-time option provided for in this agreement.
In February 2023, the Russian Federation suspended the New START Treaty against the backdrop of the unsatisfactory state of affairs with the implementation of certain aspects of the Treaty, as well as due to the absolutely unacceptable steps by the United States running counter to the fundamental principles and understandings of the agreement enshrined in its preamble.
It was a compelled measure and an inevitable response of the Russian Side to the extremely hostile policy of the Biden administration which resulted in the fundamental change in the security situation, as well as to a number of illegitimate steps taken by Washington in the context of specific provisions of the New START Treaty, which together constituted a material breach incompatible with the Treaty being further implemented in a full-fledged manner.
Among the key negative factors, it is worth to highlight the destabilizing actions of the United States in the field of missile defense, contrary to the inseparable interrelationship between strategic offensive and strategic defensive arms enshrined in the New START Treaty. <...>
Despite some obvious problematic moments, basically the New START Treaty used to fulfill its key functions. The conclusion of the Treaty and the years of its initially successful implementation helped to discourage the strategic arms race, allowing for significant reductions in the parties' arsenals. At the same time, due to the restrictions applied in this area a sufficient level of predictability was ensured on a long-term basis. <...>
In parallel to suspending this agreement, the Russian Federation announced the intention to voluntarily maintain its commitment to the central quantitative limits on weapons regulated by the New START until the end of the Treaty's life cycle in February 2026. At that time, the United States followed suit, announcing its readiness to act in a similar manner.
Striving to extend the positive effect of such reciprocal measures in terms of maintaining balance and certainty in the field of strategic offensive arms during the current turbulent period, our country took an additional constructive step. On September 22, 2025, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin publicly proposed that the Parties to the New START Treaty commit to voluntary self-limitations to keep the quantitative ceilings on the relevant weapons specified in the Treaty for at least one year after the termination of the agreement.
However, no formal official response from the United States with regard to the Russian initiative has been received through bilateral channels. <...> It means that our ideas have been deliberately left unanswered. <...>
In the current circumstances, we assume that the Parties to the New START are no longer bound by any obligations or symmetrical declarations in the context of the Treaty, including its core provisions, and are in principle free to choose their next steps. <...>
🇷🇺The Russian Federation remains ready to take decisive military-technical measures to counter potential additional threats to the national security. At the same time, our country remains open to seeking politico-diplomatic ways to comprehensively stabilize the strategic situation on the basis of equal and mutually beneficial dialogue solutions, if the appropriate conditions for such cooperation are shaped.
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⚡️Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Concerning the Expiration of the Russia-US New START Treaty(February 4, 2026)
On February 5, 2026, the life cycle of the Russian-US Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (#NewSTART) comes to an end; it was signed by the Parties on April 8, 2010, entered into force on February 5, 2011, and was extended for a five-year period in February 2021 on the basis of a relevant one-time option provided for in this agreement.
In February 2023, the Russian Federation suspended the New START Treaty against the backdrop of the unsatisfactory state of affairs with the implementation of certain aspects of the Treaty, as well as due to the absolutely unacceptable steps by the United States running counter to the fundamental principles and understandings of the agreement enshrined in its preamble.
It was a compelled measure and an inevitable response of the Russian Side to the extremely hostile policy of the Biden administration which resulted in the fundamental change in the security situation, as well as to a number of illegitimate steps taken by Washington in the context of specific provisions of the New START Treaty, which together constituted a material breach incompatible with the Treaty being further implemented in a full-fledged manner.
Among the key negative factors, it is worth to highlight the destabilizing actions of the United States in the field of missile defense, contrary to the inseparable interrelationship between strategic offensive and strategic defensive arms enshrined in the New START Treaty. <...>
Despite some obvious problematic moments, basically the New START Treaty used to fulfill its key functions. The conclusion of the Treaty and the years of its initially successful implementation helped to discourage the strategic arms race, allowing for significant reductions in the parties' arsenals. At the same time, due to the restrictions applied in this area a sufficient level of predictability was ensured on a long-term basis. <...>
In parallel to suspending this agreement, the Russian Federation announced the intention to voluntarily maintain its commitment to the central quantitative limits on weapons regulated by the New START until the end of the Treaty's life cycle in February 2026. At that time, the United States followed suit, announcing its readiness to act in a similar manner.
Striving to extend the positive effect of such reciprocal measures in terms of maintaining balance and certainty in the field of strategic offensive arms during the current turbulent period, our country took an additional constructive step. On September 22, 2025, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin publicly proposed that the Parties to the New START Treaty commit to voluntary self-limitations to keep the quantitative ceilings on the relevant weapons specified in the Treaty for at least one year after the termination of the agreement.
However, no formal official response from the United States with regard to the Russian initiative has been received through bilateral channels. <...> It means that our ideas have been deliberately left unanswered. <...>
In the current circumstances, we assume that the Parties to the New START are no longer bound by any obligations or symmetrical declarations in the context of the Treaty, including its core provisions, and are in principle free to choose their next steps. <...>
🇷🇺The Russian Federation remains ready to take decisive military-technical measures to counter potential additional threats to the national security. At the same time, our country remains open to seeking politico-diplomatic ways to comprehensively stabilize the strategic situation on the basis of equal and mutually beneficial dialogue solutions, if the appropriate conditions for such cooperation are shaped.
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⚡️Déclaration du Ministère des Affaires étrangères de la Fédération de Russie concernant l'expiration du Traité russo-américain New Start(4 février 2026)
Le 5 février 2026 marque la fin définitive du cycle de vie du Traité russo-américain sur les mesures de réduction et de limitation des armements stratégiques offensifs (#NewStart), signé par les Parties le 8 avril 2010, entré en vigueur le 5 février 2011 et prolongé pour une période de 5 ans en février 2021, recourant à la possibilité prévue à cet effet par cet accord.
En février 2023, l'application du Traité a été suspendue par la Fédération de Russie en raison de la mise en œuvre insatisfaisante de certains aspects de l'accord, ainsi qu'en raison d'actions absolument inacceptables des États-Unis allant à l'encontre des ententes et des principes fondamentaux pour cet accord consignés dans son préambule.
Cette mesure était inévitable et constituait la réponse forcée de la Russie à la politique extrêmement hostile de l'administration Biden, ayant entraîné un changement radical des circonstances en matière de sécurité, ainsi qu'à une série de mesures illégitimes de Washington dans le contexte des dispositions spécifiques du Traité. Dans l'ensemble, cela a été qualifié de violation substantielle incompatible avec la poursuite de la pleine mise en œuvre de l'Accord.
Parmi les facteurs négatifs clés, il convient de souligner les actions déstabilisatrices des États-Unis dans le domaine de la défense antimissile, contrairement au lien indissociable entre les armements stratégiques offensifs et défensifs inscrit dans le New Start. [...]
Malgré les problèmes évidents, le New Start a globalement rempli ses fonctions principales. La conclusion du Traité et les années de sa mise en œuvre initialement réussie ont contribué à décourager la course aux armements stratégiques, permettant des réductions significatives des armes stratégiques offensives dans les arsenaux des Parties. Parallèlement, un niveau suffisant de prévisibilité était assuré grâce aux limitations en vigueur dans ce domaine sur le long terme.
Animé par la volonté de prolonger, à l'heure actuelle et dans cette période turbulente, l'effet positif de ces mesures réciproques pour maintenir l'équilibre et la prévisibilité dans le domaine des armes stratégiques offensives, notre pays a entrepris une étape constructive supplémentaire. Le 22 septembre 2025, le Président de la Fédération de Russie, Vladimir Poutine, a publiquement lancé une initiative pour que les Parties au New Start s'imposent volontairement des restrictions pour respecter les plafonds établis par le Traité concernant les armements correspondants, au moins pendant un an après la fin de l'existence dudit accord.
Cependant, aucune réaction officielle formalisée des États-Unis à l'initiative russe n'a été reçue via les canaux bilatéraux. 👉 En fait, il s'agit de nos propositions délibérément laissées sans réponse.
Dans les circonstances actuelles, nous partons du principe que les Parties au New Start ne sont plus liées par des obligations ou des déclarations symétriques dans le contexte du Traité, y compris ses dispositions centrales, et sont en principe libres dans leurs démarches à suivre. [...]
🇷🇺La Fédération de Russie est toujours prête à prendre des contre-mesures militaires et techniques résolues afin de faire face aux menaces potentielles supplémentaires pour la sécurité nationale. Dans le même temps, à terme, notre pays reste ouvert à la recherche de voies politiques et diplomatiques pour une stabilisation stratégique globale sur la base de solutions de dialogue équitables et mutuellement bénéfiques en cas d'émergence de conditions appropriées pour une telle interaction.
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🎙Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with RIA Novosti(November 9, 2025)
Read in full (Telegraph)
#RussiaUS#NewSTART
❓ Question: President of Russia Vladimir Putin announced that the Russian Federation is prepared to continue adhering to the restrictions established by New START for one additional year, starting February 5, 2026. Has there been any response from the United States? Did Moscow propose a meeting with Washington to discuss the post-New START period? If so, at what level?
💬Sergey Lavrov: The constructive initiative put forward by President Vladimir Putin in the post-New START context speaks for itself. It contains no hidden agenda and is perfectly clear for understanding. Its practical implementation would not require any special additional efforts. <...>
The only thing required is reciprocity from the United States: we will voluntarily adhere to the restrictions only if, and precisely for as long as, the other side does the same. <...>
So far, there has been no substantive response from Washington. We have been informed through diplomatic channels that “the issue is under consideration.”
We have no intention of keeping persuading anyone. We believe that our step serves the interests of both parties and the entire international community. 👉 We are ready for any development of events, while hoping for a positive outcome.
#Ukraine#RussiaUS
❓ Question: What is currently the main stumbling block in the negotiations with the United States on a settlement around Ukraine? Where is Russia ready to make concessions and where is it not?
💬Sergey Lavrov: <...> We are currently awaiting confirmation from the United States that the Anchorage agreements remain in effect.
I would emphasise that, despite their essentially compromise nature, we have not abandoned – and do not intend to abandon – the points that are fundamental for us.
❗️ No one disputes the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation or the choice made by the residents of Crimea, Donbass, and Novorossiya, who made their historic decision to reunite with their homeland through the referendums in 2014 and 2022. We likewise do not forget the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict.
#EUthieves
❓ Question: What will be Russia’s response if the frozen assets of the Russian Federation are directed to support Kiev?
💬Sergey Lavrov: <...> Such actions amount to outright deception and theft. It seems that the long-dormant instincts of colonialists and pirates have reawakened among Europeans. No matter how the scheme for seizing Russian funds is presented, there is no lawful way to carry it out.
The confiscation of our gold and foreign currency reserves will not save the Europe’s protégés in Kiev <...>
Russia will respond to any predatory actions appropriately, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, our national interests, and the need to compensate for the damage caused to us. We hope that Brussels and other Western capitals will still come to their senses and abandon this ill-advised venture.
#RussiaUS
❓ Question: When and where could a meeting between the Russian and American delegations on mutual “irritants” take place? What about your meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio? When and where might it be held?
💬Sergey Lavrov: There are indeed many irritants in Russia-US relations, most of them inherited from the previous US administration. It will take considerable time to clear up this mess. <...>
From our perspective, it is important that this dialogue should not be limited solely to embassy-related issues. We consider it essential to address broader questions, including the restoration of direct flights and the return of Russian diplomatic property. <...>
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and I share an understanding that maintaining regular communication is essential, both for discussing the Ukrainian issue and for advancing the broader bilateral agenda. We remain in contact by phone and are prepared to hold in-person meetings.