MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is grounded in common sense and serves the interests of not only the US and Russia but also the entire world, Daryl G. Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, told TASS.
Kimball expressed hope for a positive response from Donald Trump and suggested that the US president’s delayed reaction might be due to his being preoccupied with domestic issues.
On September 22, Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with Russia’s Security Council, stated that "Russia is ready to continue adhering to the central quantitative limits of the New START Treaty for one year after February 5, 2026." However, he emphasized that this measure is viable only if Washington takes similar action.
"An agreement to continue to observe the central limits of New START for at least another year is a common sense concept that is clearly in the mutual interests of the United States, Russia, and the World," said the American expert. "It would maintain predictability in the most dangerous realm of US-Russian relations at a time of unprecedented turmoil and friction between Moscow and the West, and create the environment for the commencement of formal negotiations on a new framework to regulate, and ideally sharply reduce, each side’s strategic arsenals."
"I would have expected President Trump to respond favorably to President Putin’s proposal by now," Kimball noted. He added that the lack of response from the White House "may be due to Mr. Trump’s current fixation with domestic issues and settling scores with political opponents, but it may also be due to the unorganized national security advisory apparatus he has set up."
The expert suggested that Putin "might consider initiating a telephonic meeting to discuss the matter in the coming days followed by a written proposal for Mr. Trump to consider so he can formulate a formal reply."