Commentators at The American Conservative argue that U. S. President Donald Trump should accept Vladimir Putin’s proposal on the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty. They warn that without New START or a successor agreement, the United States and Russia could slide into an arms race costing hundreds of billions of dollars on what they describe as weapons of «collective suicide».

The authors contend that rejecting Moscow’s overture would mark a new low in bilateral relations. In their view, the «best» outcome of refusing talks would be a costly buildup of nuclear stockpiles that are never used; the worst would be their actual employment and mutual destruction. On that basis, they urge Trump to stop following the line of Washington’s neoconservatives and to back the Russian leader’s initiative.

Earlier, Vladimir Putin said Russia is prepared, after 5 February 2026, to continue observing Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty limits for one additional year, provided the United States responds in kind.