{"id":1404885,"date":"2026-02-06T07:22:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T12:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/?p=1404885&preview=true&preview_id=1404885"},"modified":"2026-02-06T13:56:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T18:56:40","slug":"russia-us-nuclear-talks-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/2026\/02\/06\/russia-us-nuclear-talks-soon\/","title":{"rendered":"Kremlin says Russia and US agree that quick nuclear arms are talks needed"},"content":{"rendered":"

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV and JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press<\/strong><\/p>\n

MOSCOW (AP) \u2014 Russian and U.S. negotiators discussed the expiration of the last remaining\u00a0nuclear arms pact<\/a>\u00a0between the two countries and agreed on the need to quickly launch new arms control talks, the Kremlin said Friday.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the U.S. emphasized the need for China to join a future arms pact and accused Beijing of covert nuclear tests.<\/p>\n

The New START treaty expired Thursday, leaving no caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century and fueling fears of\u00a0an unconstrained nuclear arms race<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared his readiness to\u00a0stick to the treaty’s limits for another year<\/a>\u00a0if Washington followed suit. But U.S. President Donald Trump has argued that he wants China to be a part of a new treaty, and his administration ramped up the pressure by accusing Beijing of carrying out nuclear explosive tests. Beijing rejected the allegations and has rebuffed efforts to have it join a nonproliferation deal.<\/p>\n

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that China should be involved in a potential new nuclear treaty. \u201cAn arms control arrangement that does not account for China\u2019s buildup, which Russia is supporting, will undoubtedly leave the United States and our allies less safe,” he said.<\/p>\n

Russian and U.S. negotiators discussed future nuclear arms control in the United Arab Emirates, where Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. delegations held two days of talks on a peace settlement in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is an understanding, and they talked about it in Abu Dhabi, that both parties will take responsible positions and both parties realize the need to start talks on the issue as soon as possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Asked to comment on a report by Axios claiming Russian and U.S. negotiators discussed a possible informal deal to observe the pact’s limits for at least six months, Peskov responded that any such extension could only be formal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s hard to imagine any informal extension in this sphere,” he said.<\/p>\n

The US wants China involved<\/h4>\n

Trump has indicated he would like to keep limits on nuclear weapons but wants to involve China in a potential new treaty.<\/p>\n

In his first term, Trump tried and failed to push for a three-way nuclear pact involving China. Beijing has balked at any restrictions on its smaller but growing nuclear arsenal, while urging the U.S. to resume nuclear talks with Russia.<\/p>\n

Rubio said the U.S. was \u201cpursuing all avenues\u201d to fulfill Trump\u2019s \u201cdesire for a world with fewer of these awful weapons,\u201d but insisted Washington would not stand still while Russia and China expand their nuclear forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince 2020, China has increased its nuclear weapons stockpile from the low 200s to more than 600 and is on pace to have more than 1,000 warheads by 2030,\u201d Rubio wrote on Substack.<\/p>\n