Kremlin says no substantive US response to Russia's arms control initiative

MOSCOW - The Kremlin said Thursday that there has been no substantive response from Washington to Russia's initiative on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).

Moscow has not yet received a US response to the initiative, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, noting that there is a "serious pause" in the dialogue process between Russia and the United States.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that Russia is prepared to adhere to nuclear arms limits for one year after the New START treaty expires in February 2026, provided the United States takes the same step and refrains from actions that could upset the existing balance of deterrence capabilities.

Signed by Russia and the United States in 2010, the treaty imposes caps on the number of deployed nuclear warheads and strategic delivery systems. It entered into force on Feb 5, 2011 and would have expired on Feb 5, 2021. Moscow and Washington officially extended the treaty by five years to February 2026.

Commenting on the Ukraine conflict, Peskov said that Kyiv is not at all drawn to any kind of peace process right now.

"They think something will change on the front lines, and things will shift to a positive dynamic. The reality suggests otherwise," Peskov said.