On September 22nd, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended an offer to continue to abide by New START limitations for an additional year after the treaty expires in February 2026. Since 2011, the New START treaty has set limitations on U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces with on-site verification and is the last arms control agreement of its kind between the U.S. and the Russian Federation. In a recent press conference, President Trump indicated that he may follow suit in observing the limits of the treaty after its formal expiration. But the future of New START remains uncertain.
Was Putin's offer genuine? Should the Trump administration accept Putin’s suggestion to informally extend the limits of the treaty? What would abiding by New START limits mean for U.S. deterrence and modernization plans? To consider these questions and more, please join the CSIS Defense and Security Department’s HTK Series for a conversation featuring Heather Williams, director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues, Tom Karako, director of the CSIS Missile Defense Project, and Kari Bingen, director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project.
This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.
