A US official told reporters that Washington met with a Russian delegation in Geneva on Monday to discuss restrictions on nuclear weapons after a landmark nuclear treaty expired in January.
The New START treaty, signed by former US President Barack Obama and Russian politician Dmitriy Medvedev in 2010, expired on Feb. 4 – marking the end of the last US-Russia nuclear treaty to be in force.
“Today, I met with the Russian delegation. Tomorrow, we’ll meet with the Chinese delegation, among others,” a senior State Department official told reporters in Geneva, as per AFP.
The official, who spoke to reporters in Geneva, asked not to be identified.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly offered to extend the treaty in September 2025. US President Donald Trump reportedly failed to respond.
In a speech given on Monday, Russia’s “Defender of the Fatherland Day,” Putin said that developing Russia’s nuclear forces was an “absolute priority” following the treaty expiring.
“The development of the nuclear triad, which guarantees Russia’s security and ensures effective strategic deterrence and a balance of forces in the world, remains an absolute priority,” he said.
Shortly after the treaty expired, Trump said that New START had been “badly negotiated,” and called for a new treaty to be signed that included China.
“We should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.