Russia warns of rising risks as New START talks loom Kremlin on nuclear arms, Poland, Russian oil

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that the global security situation could deteriorate rapidly if the New START restrictions are not extended.

“The world could find itself in a more dangerous position within just a few days if the New START restrictions are not extended,” he said during a press briefing, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Peskov emphasized that China opposes joining a potential new arms control treaty, noting that its nuclear capabilities are incomparable to those of Russia or the United States.

“Russia cannot ignore the nuclear potentials of the United Kingdom and France when discussing the future system of strategic stability,” he stated. He added that without taking into account the nuclear capabilities of the UK and France, progress on strategic stability is impossible—a point President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly underscored.

Addressing security concerns in Eastern Europe, Peskov said that Russia is taking all necessary measures amid what he described as aggressive rhetoric from Poland. “Russophobia, on the verge of hysteria, continues to dominate the Polish leadership,” he asserted.

On international economic matters, Peskov commented on statements by US President Donald Trump, including those related to tariffs on India and Russian oil. “Moscow has not received any notifications from New Delhi about plans to halt purchases of Russian oil,” he said.

Peskov concluded by noting that President Putin will conduct an international phone call in the middle of the working day and meet with the Russian government to discuss socio-economic development issues.

To note, the New START treaty, which limits the number of active missiles and warheads held by the world’s two largest nuclear powers, will expire on February 5.

New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was signed on April 8, 2010, in Prague by US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and entered into force in 2011 to continue decades‑long efforts to limit their strategic nuclear forces. 

The treaty set formal caps on deployed strategic warheads and delivery systems and included verification measures like inspections and data exchanges to build transparency and predictability between the two nuclear powers.

It also limits each side to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads and a combined total of 700 deployed delivery vehicles (ICBMs, SLBMs, heavy bombers) from an overall cap of 800 deployed and non‑deployed launchers, and uses actual warhead counts rather than earlier counting rules to more accurately reflect arsenals.

New START entered force as part of a strategic relationship between Washington and Moscow and was extended for five years in 2021, but its verification regime has been weakened by the suspension of mutual inspections in recent years amid geopolitical tensions, including over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

By  Vafa Guliyeva