Arkov Outlines Three Key Factors Behind Possible New START Reset
PolitRUS head Vitalii Arkov says Britain, France, NATO shifts and US politics could shape a New START reset as the Russia–US arms treaty nears expiration.
There are currently three key factors that could potentially play a role in restarting the Strategic Offensive Arms Limitation Treaty under its previous or revised terms, Vitalii Arkov, head of the PolitRUS expert and analytical network and an expert on international conflicts, told RIA Novosti.
The Treaty between Russia and the United States on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (known as DSNV or New START) expires on February 5, 2026. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that Russia is ready to adhere to the treaty’s restrictions for one year after its expiration. This initiative remains on the table, but Moscow has not yet received any response from the United States, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitrii Peskov said earlier.
According to Arkov, the first key factor is the buildup of strategic offensive weapons by Great Britain and France. Although these countries are not formally covered by New START, the level of threat they pose is increasing and must be taken into account when discussing the future of the treaty.
The second factor, he says, is the review by the United States of the format of its participation in the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as broader doubts in Washington about the feasibility of preserving NATO in its current form under new global realities.
The third factor Arkov points to is the domestic political context in the United States. He notes that New START was signed on the US side by President Barack Obama, a representative of the Democratic Party. For Donald Trump, this creates an opportunity not only for personal political confrontation with Obama, but also to portray Democrats as responsible for weakening US defense capabilities and overall global power ahead of elections that are critically important for Republicans.
In this context, Arkov believes Trump may put forward a counterproposal on New START or initiate a new treaty project on terms largely favorable to the United States, presenting it as part of a major personal political triumph.