Putin offers Trump one-year extension to N-arms treaty

START treaty caps number of deployed warheads at 1,550 on each side and both are likely to breach that if it is not extended or replaced; West, Russia clash at UN after incidents in Nato air space

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Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his US counterpart Donald Trump a one-year extension on Monday to the last treaty limiting both countries’ nuclear weapons while they discuss what comes next.

Russia and the United States have by far the biggest nuclear arsenals in the world. The New START treaty limiting the numbers of strategic nuclear weaponsthose designed to hit centres of military, economic and political power - expires on Feb.5.

The offer, made as Ukraine tries to convince Trump to impose harsher sanctions on Russia, was made public by Putin at a meeting of his Security Council.

"Russia is prepared to continue adhering to the central numerical limits under the New START Treaty for one year after February 5, 2026," he said.

"Subsequently, based on an analysis of the situation, we will make a decision on whether to maintain these voluntary, self-imposed restrictions.”

"This measure will only be viable if the United States acts in a similar manner, and does not take steps that undermine or violate the existing balance of deterrence capabilities.”