Russia will continue to adhere to the strategic missile and warhead ceilings set under the now-expired New START agreement, provided the United States does not exceed those thresholds, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told lawmakers on Wednesday.
The landmark 2010 arms control deal formally expired on 5 February, leaving Washington and Moscow without legally binding restrictions on their strategic nuclear forces for the first time in decades. Despite that, Moscow says it will voluntarily remain within the previous limits - on the condition that the U.S. does the same.
Lavrov told members of Russia’s lower house of parliament that the Kremlin’s previously announced pause on expanding beyond treaty caps remains in place but only so long as the United States refrains from surpassing them.
President Donald Trump has declined a proposal to continue observing the treaty for another year. Instead, he has argued for negotiating a broader and updated framework that reflects what he describes as a new security reality.
Lavrov said Russia sees no immediate indication that Washington intends to move beyond the former limits. He also renewed calls for structured talks on strategic stability, describing such dialogue as overdue.
The expiration of New START has intensified debate over the risk of a broader nuclear competition, potentially involving China, which maintains a smaller arsenal but is expanding its capabilities rapidly.
Security analysts say Russia’s position allows it to avoid immediate escalation while keeping room to modernise systems not previously covered by the treaty. At the same time, Moscow faces financial pressure linked to its prolonged war in Ukraine, a factor that could weigh on any major expansion of its nuclear programme.
Even if fighting in Ukraine were to ease, experts note that Russia would still need to rebuild its conventional forces, which would limit how aggressively it could pursue a large-scale nuclear build-up.
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Bangladesh has called for increased climate financing and faster delivery of support to vulnerable nations, arguing that current global funding commitments fall far short of what developing countries need to tackle the growing impacts of climate change.
Apple is facing a £3 billion lawsuit in the United Kingdom after a competition tribunal approved a major collective action over its iCloud storage service.
Iran has strengthened ties with regional partners and agreed a roadmap for technical talks with the U.S. aimed at securing a final peace agreement within two months.
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Cape Verde’s remarkable FIFA World Cup debut continued on Sunday (21 June) as the tournament newcomers held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw. Goalkeeper Vozinha was once again at the centre of the story, this time with his mother watching from the stands.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
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Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of Scotland's governing Scottish National Party (SNP), has been jailed for five years and three months after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 13-year period
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