Spokesperson: Moscow awaits Trump’s response on Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty

Moscow is expecting a reply from US President Donald Trump regarding Russia’s proposal to maintain the limits set under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the Kremlin has said.

Speaking to journalists, presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that attempts by European countries to seize Russian assets “will not go unanswered,” Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

He added that contacts between Moscow and Washington are continuing at the administrative level, but no response has yet been received from the US President on the arms treaty proposal. “The contacts are ongoing, but there has been no reaction so far,” Peskov said.

He also stressed that dialogue channels remain operational. “There are working channels for discussion,” he said.

On the topic of Ukraine, Peskov noted that the United States is providing intelligence data in real time, describing the practice as “not a novelty.”

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) series consists of U.S.–Soviet/Russian agreements aimed at reducing and limiting strategic nuclear weapons.

START I (1991–2009): Signed by George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev, it was the first treaty to mandate reductions in deployed strategic warheads (max 6,000) and delivery vehicles (max 1,600). After the USSR’s dissolution, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine joined via the Lisbon Protocol. Reductions were completed by 2001; the treaty expired in 2009.

START II (1993–2002): Aimed to reduce warheads to 3,000–3,500 and eliminate MIRVs on ICBMs, but never entered into force due to ratification delays and Russia’s withdrawal.

SORT (2002–2014): Signed by George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin, it committed both countries to 1,700–2,200 deployed warheads by 2012. Unlike previous treaties, it allowed flexible force structures without destroying delivery systems.

New START (2010–present): Signed in 2010, effective 2011, limits deployed warheads to 1,550 and delivery vehicles to 700, with robust verification measures. Extended in 2021, it remains valid until February 2026.

These treaties have been central to reducing U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals and strengthening global non-proliferation and disarmament efforts.

By Aghakazim Guliyev