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US, Russia close in on deal to continue New START nuclear arms treaty, Axios reports
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 5, 2026
3 min readLast updated: February 5, 2026
Home > Headlines > US, Russia close in on deal to continue New START nuclear arms treaty, Axios reports
Quick Summary
The US and Russia are nearing an agreement to extend the New START nuclear arms treaty, crucial for arms control, before its expiration.
US and Russia Near Agreement to Extend New START Nuclear Treaty
US-Russia Negotiations on New START Treaty
WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The United States and Russia are closing in on a deal to observe the New START nuclear arms control treaty beyond its expiration on Thursday, Axios reported, citing three sources familiar with the talks.
The New START treaty, which set limits on each side's missiles, launchers and strategic warheads, is the last in a series of nuclear agreements dating back more than half a century to the Cold War.
Negotiations had been taking place over the past 24 hours in Abu Dhabi but an agreement had not been reached, Axios said, citing an additional source.
Recent Developments in Military Dialogue
The White House had no immediate comment on the report, which followed a series of other developments in relations between the world's two biggest nuclear powers.
The U.S. military's European Command said on Thursday the U.S. and Russia had agreed in Abu Dhabi to resume a high-level military-to-military dialogue.
Kremlin's Stance on Dialogue
Also, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said peace talks with Russia, backed by the U.S., would continue in the near future after negotiators ended a second round of discussions in Abu Dhabi.
The Axios report on New START said it was unclear whether the agreement to observe the treaty's terms for an additional period of time, possibly six months, would be enshrined in any formal way.
KREMLIN SEEKS 'CONSTRUCTIVE REPLIES'
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday Russia was still ready to engage in dialogue with the U.S. if Washington responded constructively to a proposal by Moscow to keep abiding by the limits of the expiring New START nuclear treaty.
"Listen, if there are any constructive replies, of course we will conduct a dialogue," Peskov told reporters.
Implications of New START Treaty Extension
The New START treaty signed in 2010 allowed one single extension, which was agreed by former President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin for five years. Any new extension would require an executive decision to voluntarily extend the limits of the treaty.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, wants China brought into a nuclear reduction deal.
Beijing has so far declined negotiations with Moscow and Washington as it has a fraction of their warhead numbers - an estimated 600, compared to around 4,000 each for Russia and the U.S.
The White House said this week that Trump would decide the way forward on nuclear arms control, which he would "clarify on his own timeline" but gave no further details.
(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru, Andrea Shalal and Jonathan Landay in Washington; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Timothy Heritage)
Key Takeaways
- •US and Russia are negotiating to extend the New START treaty.
- •The treaty is crucial for nuclear arms control between the two nations.
- •Negotiations are expected to conclude before the treaty's expiration.
- •Axios reports progress in talks based on insider sources.
- •The treaty's extension is vital for global security.
Frequently Asked Questions about US, Russia close in on deal to continue New START nuclear arms treaty, Axios reports
1What is nuclear arms control?
Nuclear arms control refers to international agreements and treaties designed to limit the development, testing, and deployment of nuclear weapons to enhance global security.
