Not so long ago, Vladimir Putin took a step that astonished me: he called for extending the limits of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) for one year beyond February 5, 2026, when it is due to go out of force. 

It was Putin who pulled the plug on implementing the treaty in February 2023, blaming Joe Biden for assisting Kyiv and not respecting Russia’s security interests. Now he seems to be having second thoughts, telling his Security Council that discarding the beneficial aspects of the treaty would be a mistake. 

Keeping the New Start limits in place will give additional time to President Donald Trump, who is enthusiastic about limiting nuclear weapons, to figure out what he wants to do not only with the Russians, but also with the Chinese, who are quickly building nuclear weapons in a way that has everyone worried.

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