Russia calls for urgent nuclear arms control talks amid legal vacuum

Russia is calling for the immediate resumption of nuclear arms control negotiations, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov warning of an “absolute vacuum” in the current legal framework. This follows the expiration of the New START treaty on February 5, which previously limited both nations to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and 700 launch systems.

Moscow has expressed skepticism regarding Donald Trump’s proposal for trilateral talks involving the United States, Russia, and China, viewing the requirement for Chinese participation as an unrealistic alternative.

Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that he and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio are awaiting agreement from specialists on a date and location for a meeting to discuss “sensitive issues.” The goal of these discussions is to improve bilateral relations and relaunch the peace process in Ukraine. Lavrov indicated a willingness to return to the Anchorage agreements discussed in August 2025 between Presidents Trump and Putin, which involved informal concepts for freezing front lines and transferring control of the Donbass region to Russia.