Russia will not try to persuade the US to extend New START.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow would not try to persuade anyone, and would not engage in in-depth discussions, regarding proposals related to a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, responding to a question about whether the US would accept President Putin's offer to comply with the restrictions under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and whether Moscow would propose a meeting with Washington to discuss the post-START era, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the constructive initiative put forward by President Putin "speaks for itself." Therefore, according to Lavrov, Moscow does not need to discuss its own ideas in depth.
The Russian Foreign Minister stated that the only thing needed is a response from the United States; he also stressed that Moscow will only comply with voluntary restrictions “if the other side also complies with them.”
“To date, there has been no concrete response from Washington. As we have been informed through diplomatic channels, ‘the matter is under consideration.’ We are not trying to persuade anyone. We believe that our actions are in the interests of both sides and the entire international community. We are prepared for all eventualities. However, we hope for a positive outcome,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Regarding the obstacles in negotiations with the US on a solution to the Ukraine issue, Lavrov said that Russia is currently awaiting confirmation from the US that the agreements reached in Alaska in August 2025 remain in effect.
“I want to emphasize that, although these agreements are essentially compromises, Russia has not abandoned and will not abandon the fundamental principles that form the basis of our system. And the US side understands this. We also do not forget the need to resolve the root causes of the conflict – something we have stated many times,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.
Sergei Lavrov added that Russian-American relations still have many thorny issues inherited from the previous US administration. Therefore, "it will take a long time to resolve this mess." With the new administration in power, Russia senses a willingness to resume dialogue. "This process is underway, but not as quickly as we would like," he said.
