Trump calls on Russia, China for new nuclear treaty

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called for a new and updated nuclear arms control treaty following the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the last remaining bilateral accord limiting U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that the previous deal, originally signed in 2010, was "badly negotiated" and "is being grossly violated," adding, "We should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future."

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Russia withdraws from treaty limits

New START was signed by former President Barack Obama and later extended by President Joe Biden in 2021. The treaty limited both countries to 800 deployed strategic warheads and their delivery systems.

Its expiration has raised concerns about the erosion of nuclear arms control frameworks established since the Cold War.

Russia has announced it no longer considers itself bound by New START’s restrictions, citing its suspension of treaty inspections due to deteriorating relations with the previous U.S. administration.

Amid these tensions, the U.S. announced that military-to-military communication with Russia has resumed following three-way talks in Abu Dhabi regarding the Ukraine conflict. President Trump has also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska in an apparent gesture aimed at reviving dialogue.

A combination of file photos shows Russia’s Knyaz Pozharsky nuclear submarine (top) during a flag-raising ceremony in Severodvinsk, July 24, 2025, and the U.S. Navy’s USS Michigan submarine (bottom) arriving in Busan, South Korea, April 25, 2017. (AFP Photo)

China says no to disarmament talks

The Trump administration also holds that future arms control efforts are incomplete without China’s participation. "Arms control is impossible without including China," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.

However, Beijing has rejected this position. China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, "China’s nuclear capabilities are of a totally different scale as those of the United States and Russia," and confirmed that China "will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage."

China’s nuclear arsenal is estimated at around 600 warheads, compared to more than 800 each for the United States and Russia under the former limits of New START.

February 06, 2026 12:38 AM GMT+03:00