US President Donald Trump has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to voluntarily extend the limits on strategic nuclear weapons that have just expired.
Trump wants new talks to be held between nuclear experts from both countries to draft a stronger and more modern agreement.
In a statement on the Truth Social platform, Trump criticized the old agreement as 'badly negotiated' and claimed that it was being violated by the other side.
He also stressed the need to include China in the talks, although Beijing has so far shown a cold attitude towards the proposal.
The end of the New START agreement is feared to pave the way for the abolition of nuclear arms limits that could trigger a new arms race amid rising global tensions.
Putin had previously expressed his willingness to abide by the agreement for another year, as long as the US agrees to do the same.
However, Washington has not shown any commitment to the offer.
The Kremlin expressed its disappointment, but insisted that they would continue to take a responsible approach to the stability of nuclear security while emphasizing national interests as the main guide.
The US and Russian delegations that met in Abu Dhabi also discussed the possibility of extending the agreement for six months, but that move seemed unlikely to materialize.
Meanwhile, Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons in response to the West's support for Ukraine, adding to global concerns about the risk of uncontrolled nuclear conflict.
New START was first signed in 2010 by Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev to limit the number of warheads and missiles deployed.
The agreement was extended once in 2021 under the administrations of Joe Biden and Putin.
This situation demonstrates the paradox between the need to maintain global stability and the realpolitik that forces the great powers to strengthen their respective strategic positions.
Without a clear commitment from both sides, the risk of nuclear instability will become a real threat in today's geopolitical landscape.
