‘If it expires, it expires,’ Trump tells NYT about US-Russia nuclear treaty
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US President Donald Trump said the US could draw up a better agreement with Russia, and that it should also include China.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
- Trump indicated he might let the New START treaty with Russia expire, saying, "If it expires, it expires," and wanting a better agreement.
- Trump believes any future arms control agreement should include China, though neither Russian nor Chinese embassies commented.
- Expiring on Feb 5, the New START treaty limits US and Russian strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, with delivery platforms capped at 700.
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WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump appeared to suggest he would allow the last arms control treaty with Russia to expire and not accept an offer from Moscow to voluntarily extend the deal, according to remarks released on Jan 8.
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the two nations could voluntarily maintain the limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons set out in the New START treaty, which is set to expire on Feb 5.
“If it expires, it expires,” Mr Trump told the New York Times on Jan 7. “We’ll just do a better agreement.”
Mr Trump said China should be incorporated in any future agreement, according to the newspaper.
Spokespeople for the Russian and Chinese embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
The 2010 New START agreement cannot be extended. The treaty provided for one extension and Mr Putin and former US president Joe Biden agreed to roll it over for five years in 2021.
The agreement caps US and Russian deployments of strategic nuclear war heads at 1,550 and their delivery platforms - missiles, aircraft and submarines - at 700. REUTERS
