Axios, in a breaking story reported on Feb. 5: “The U.S. and Russia are closing in on a deal to continue to observe the expiring New START arms control treaty beyond its expiration on Thursday, three sources familiar with those talks tell Axios. Two of the sources cautioned that the draft plan still needed approval from both presidents. An additional source confirmed that negotiations had been taking place over the past 24 hours in Abu Dhabi, but not that an agreement had been reached.”
Were U.S. President Donald Trump to agree, it would represent a significant shift from last month’s statement, where he said that there was no real harm in simply dropping the treaty; so, the caution by the two sources is worth noting. Axios reported that it was “President Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner” who “negotiated on New START with Russian officials on the sidelines of Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi.”
While the New START Treaty would officially expire, both Moscow and Washington would agree to abide by the terms of the treaty while discussions over a new treaty proceed. Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered such an arrangement last September, and U.S. President Donald Trump had even expressed interest last October; however, Washington had made no response to the offer before what Axios reported today. Putin had offered a 12-month extension, and Axios’ sources indicate a 6-month agreement.
Then, in a surprise Truth Social post later in the afternoon, Trump seemingly weighed in against continuing any kind of New START at all. “Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,” Trump posted.
