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The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that the parties to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between Russia and the United States assume that they are no longer bound by any obligations under the treaty.

The ministry stated that Russia has not received an official response from the United States to its initiative to voluntarily extend the caps on nuclear weapons after the treaty’s expiration on February 5.

“Under the current conditions, we assume that the parties to New START are no longer bound by any obligations or symmetric statements under the treaty, including its key provisions, and are, in principle, free to choose their subsequent steps,” the statement said.

The ministry added that Russia is ready to take decisive military-technical measures in response to potential additional threats to national security, while also noting that it remains open to political and diplomatic efforts aimed at stabilizing the strategic situation if appropriate conditions are created.

The New START treaty, signed by Russia and the United States in 2010, aims to limit the number of deployed nuclear warheads and delivery systems. It entered into force on February 5, 2011, was initially set for a 10-year term, and was later extended until February 5, 2026.

In September 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would continue to comply with the treaty’s core limits for one year after its expiration, provided that the United States refrains from actions that would undermine the existing strategic balance.

U.S. President Donald Trump, for his part, said in January that he was not concerned about the treaty’s imminent expiration and expressed hope that the two sides would reach a new agreement.

The treaty was the last remaining arms control agreement between the two countries after Washington withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019.