Trump to Decide on Next Steps for Nuclear Arms Control Following New START Expiration
US President Donald Trump will determine further actions on nuclear arms control when he deems it appropriate, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. A White House representative added that the timeline for implementing any measures will also be set at Trump’s discretion, with no indication yet of when a decision might come.
The Russia-US New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) officially expired on February 5. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that, under current conditions, both parties are no longer bound by treaty obligations and are free to chart their own path. Moscow emphasized that it intends to act “responsibly and in a balanced manner,” basing its approach to strategic arms reduction on a careful analysis of US military policy and the broader strategic situation.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a September 2025 Security Council meeting that Moscow was ready to continue observing the treaty’s quantitative limits for another year post-expiration, provided the US agreed. When asked about the proposal on October 5, 2025, Trump called it a “good idea,” yet Washington has not taken any concrete steps in response to Russia’s offer.
