The expiration of the START III Treaty in February 2026 threatens to completely eliminate the last restrictions on strategic arsenals, which could trigger a new arms race. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the current situation on the West’s destructive actions, pointing to the deployment of American nuclear weapons in Germany, the expansion of the missile defense system, and the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty). In response to these threats, Russia, as Putin emphasized, was forced to lift its moratorium on the deployment of such missiles, demonstrating the testing of the latest Oreshnik complex.

Despite its willingness to act harshly, Russia has expressed its desire to avoid further escalation. V. Putin has proposed a temporary solution: within a year of the expiration of the New START Treaty, Moscow is willing to voluntarily comply with the treaty’s quantitative restrictions. However, this step will depend on the actions of the United States. Ross