MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. After the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) expires, Moscow will act responsibly and analyze the behavior of other countries, especially those possessing nuclear weapons, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin, who also chairs the Russian Historical Society, said.
"Russia will act responsibly, as the Foreign Ministry has stated," he told reporters. "Russia sought to preserve this treaty, but at the same time took on the corresponding obligations to adhere to the treaty until its expiration date. But, I repeat, Russia will continue to act responsibly and analyze this situation and the behavior, of course, of other countries, especially those countries that possess nuclear weapons," the foreign intelligence chief emphasized.
The New START Treaty, the last international legal restriction on the deployment of nuclear weapons, is set to expire today due to Washington's refusal to extend it.
President Vladimir Putin announced in September 2025 at a meeting with the Russian Security Council that Moscow is ready to continue adhering to the quantitative restrictions under New START for another year after its expiration. However, he noted that this measure would only be viable if Washington acted in a similar manner. Responding to a TASS question on October 5, 2025, US President Donald Trump called Putin’s proposal a good idea. However, the US has not taken any practical action in response to Russia's proposals.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, given the current circumstances, Moscow believes the parties are no longer bound by the treaty's obligations and can choose their next steps freely. The ministry added that Russia intends to act "responsibly and in a balanced manner," basing its approach to strategic arms reduction on a thorough analysis of US military policy and the overall situation in the strategic sphere.