Russia and US Discuss Nuclear Arms, Agree on Need for Talks

Kremlin says negotiators met in UAE and recognized importance of starting new arms control dialogue soon

Feb. 6, 2026 at 7:47am

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Russian and U.S. negotiators discussed the expiration of the New START nuclear arms treaty and agreed on the need to quickly launch new arms control talks, the Kremlin said. The last remaining nuclear arms pact between the two countries terminated on Thursday, leaving no caps on their atomic arsenals for the first time in over 50 years. Both sides acknowledged the importance of responsible positions and starting new negotiations as soon as possible.

Why it matters

The expiration of New START raises fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race between the world's two largest nuclear powers. The treaty had limited each side to no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads on no more than 700 missiles and bombers. Its lapse marks the end of an era of U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control agreements dating back to the 1970s.

The details

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to abide by the treaty's limits for another year if the U.S. does the same, but the offer was rejected by former President Trump. The U.S. wants to involve China in a new nuclear pact, but Beijing has refused to join any restrictions on its growing arsenal. Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. discussed the issue during talks in the United Arab Emirates this week.

  • The New START treaty terminated on February 5, 2026.
  • Talks between Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators took place in the UAE on February 4-5, 2026.

The players

Vladimir Putin

The President of Russia who has offered to extend the New START treaty limits for another year.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. President who rejected Putin's offer to extend New START and wants to involve China in a new nuclear pact.

Thomas DiNanno

A top U.S. diplomat in charge of arms control who accused China of covertly conducting nuclear tests.

Shen Jian

The Chinese ambassador who accused the U.S. of "shifting the blame" regarding nuclear testing.

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What they’re saying

“There 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.”

— Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman (whdh.com)

“As we sit here today, China's entire nuclear arsenal has no limits, no transparency, no declarations and no controls.”

— Thomas DiNanno, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security (whdh.com)

“China's nuclear forces are not at all on the same scale as those of the U.S. and Russia, and thus China will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at the current stage.”

— Lin Jian, Foreign Ministry spokesperson (whdh.com)

What’s next

The U.S. and Russia have agreed to reestablish high-level, military-to-military dialogue following the talks in Abu Dhabi, which could pave the way for future nuclear arms negotiations.

The takeaway

The expiration of the New START treaty marks the end of an era of U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control agreements, raising concerns about an unchecked nuclear arms race. Reestablishing direct dialogue between the two countries is a crucial first step towards negotiating a new, more comprehensive nuclear pact that could also involve China.