Negotiations for the START Treaty between the US and Russia could take years.

According to RIA Novosti on February 5th, Darrell Kimball, CEO of the Arms Control Association of the United States, told the newspaper that negotiations on a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between Russia and the United States could take years and it would be very difficult to reach a new agreement before the current one expires on February 5th, 2026.

Kimball stated: "Agreeing on a new formal nuclear arms control agreement before the New START Treaty expires will be very difficult and could require negotiations lasting for months, even years, to achieve."

However, Kimball pointed out that the U.S. and Russia have "strong capabilities and interests" in limiting and further reducing their respective arsenals of long-range, medium-range, and short-range nuclear weapons, as well as strategic interceptor missiles.

On February 21, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a speech to the Federal Assembly that Russia would suspend its participation in the START Treaty between Russia and the United States, while emphasizing that Moscow would not withdraw from the treaty. Putin stated that before resuming discussions, it should be noted that countries like France and the United Kingdom are considering their strategic arsenals, i.e., the combined offensive potential of NATO. Furthermore, an official note regarding the suspension of Russia's participation in the Treaty was delivered to the US on February 28, 2023.

In early June 2023, Washington announced it would cease sharing information with Russia on the status and location of strategic weapons protected by the treaty, revoke visas granted to Russian experts conducting inspections under START, and refuse to issue new visas. Additionally, the US announced it would stop providing Russia with telemetry data related to launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

In late December 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia continues to adhere to the quantitative limits on strategic offensive weapons under the treaty, despite the treaty's suspension. Lavrov also emphasized that until the US abandons its current anti-Russian stance, "Moscow will not conduct any arms control negotiations with them."