Wednesday 04/February/2026 – 08:47 PM
revealed Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Today, Wednesday, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as START, between Moscow and Washington has finally expired.
START Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
The Russian Foreign Ministry said, in its statement, that the treaty, which was signed on April 8, 2010, entered into force on February 5, 2011, and was then extended for five years in February 2021, had expired on its date.
She added that its end came in the wake of its suspension three years ago, which is a necessary measure and an inevitable reaction to the extremely hostile policy of the administration of former US President Joe Biden, which led to radical changes in security conditions.
The statement explained that the Russian decision to suspend the treaty came due to the unsatisfactory implementation of some aspects of the agreement by the American side, and the unacceptable actions of Washington that conflict with the basic principles of the treaty.
The Ministry referred to a group of illegal American steps related to specific provisions, which represented a fundamental violation that was not proportionate to continuing their full implementation.
The statement highlighted US responsibility for destabilizing actions in the area of missile defense, inconsistent with the cohesive link between offensive and defensive weapons set forth in START.
The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that these actions contradicted the objectives of the treaty in maintaining the balance of power, increased pressure on its survival, and created reasons for compensatory measures on the Russian side outside its scope.
The statement stressed that the treaty generally performed its basic functions during its years of operation, as it contributed to reducing the pace of the strategic arms race and allowed significant reductions in arsenals, and the imposed restrictions provided “a sufficient level of long-term predictability.”
Despite its suspension of the treaty, Russia announced in 2023 its voluntary intention to maintain its commitment to the stipulated quantitative limits until the end of its legal life in February 2026, and the United States followed this example at that time.
The State Department noted that President Vladimir Putin put forward on September 22, 2025, in a subsequent, constructive step, a public initiative in which the two parties would pledge to voluntarily restrict those borders for at least a year after the expiration, but until the present moment no official response has been received from the United States to that initiative through bilateral channels, and the American public comments do not give any indications of Washington’s willingness to comply with the proposed steps, and the Russian Ministry stressed that our ideas appear to have been, in fact, deliberately left unanswered and clear. This approach is incorrect and regrettable.”
The statement stressed that Russia, from a practical standpoint, considers this development to be a fact that must be taken into account, adding that in the current circumstances, we conclude that the two parties are no longer bound by any mutual obligations or statements within the framework of the treaty, including its central provisions, and basically they can choose their next steps freely.
The statement warned that Moscow is always ready to take firm military and technical measures to confront any potential threat to national security. At the same time, it declared Russia’s openness to searching for political and diplomatic means to achieve comprehensive stability in the strategic situation on the basis of dialogue solutions based on equality and mutual benefit, if the appropriate conditions are created for such cooperation.
The Foreign Ministry statement concluded that Russia acts responsibly and moderately, and will base its plan in the field of arms control on a careful analysis of US military policy and general conditions in the strategic field.
