According to reports from U.S. cable news network CNN and "Politico," U.S. President Trump said on the 5th that instead of extending the U.S.-Russia New START Treaty, which was due to expire on the same day, it would be more appropriate to work on a new treaty. This was Trump's first public comment on the future of the treaty. Experts interviewed by the Global Times said that the U.S. approach fully reflects America's long-standing unilateralist philosophy.

The report stated that Trump posted on his social media platform "Truth Social" on the 5th: "We should not extend the New START Treaty... Instead, our nuclear experts should draft a new, improved, and modernized treaty that can last for a long time." Trump also said that the New START Treaty is a "bad" agreement and has been "seriously violated." According to the report, Trump's remarks were a response to Russian President Putin's suggestion last year to continue abiding by the New START Treaty for another year.

White House Press Secretary Levitt said on the 5th that the U.S. and Russia had not yet reached an interim agreement to continue abiding by the New START Treaty. The U.S. plans to continue negotiations with Russia on developing a new treaty. According to Reuters on the 6th, Thomas DiNanno, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, said at a disarmament conference in Geneva that extending the New START Treaty "is not beneficial to the United States or the world," as it "has flaws." Now, the U.S. faces threats from multiple nuclear powers. It is entirely inappropriate to sign a bilateral treaty with just one nuclear power.

Russia and the U.S. signed the New START Treaty in 2010, aiming to limit the number of nuclear warheads and delivery systems deployed by the two countries. The treaty came into force on February 5, 2011, originally with a term of 10 years, and was later extended to February 5, 2026, through negotiations. The treaty is the only arms control agreement between Russia and the U.S. after the expiration of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019.

Axios news website quoted sources on the 5th that U.S. and Russian representatives have been negotiating in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, over the past 24 hours on whether to continue abiding by the New START Treaty, but the draft agreement still needs approval from both presidents. In practical terms, both sides agreed to abide by the treaty provisions for at least six months, and during this period, they will negotiate a potential new treaty...

Original: toutiao.com/article/7603924992295846406/

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