Russia says it regrets expiration of last nuclear arms treaty, but Trump says he wants a new pact

MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin said Thursday it regretted the expiration of the last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States, while U.S. President Donald Trump declared he was against keeping its limits and wants a better deal.

The pact's termination left no caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century, fueling fears of an unconstrained nuclear arms race.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last year declared his readiness to stick to the treaty’s limits for another year if Washington followed suit, but Trump has ignored the offer and argued that he wants China to be a part of a new pact — something Beijing has rebuffed.

“Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network.

Putin discussed the pact’s expiration with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday, noting the U.S. failure to respond to his proposal to extend its limits and saying that Russia “will act in a balanced and responsible manner based on thorough analysis of the security situation,” Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow views the treaty's expiration Thursday “negatively” and regrets it. He said Russia will maintain its “responsible, thorough approach to stability when it comes to nuclear weapons,” adding that "of course, it will be guided primarily by its national interests.”

Peskov emphasized that “if we receive constructive responses, we will certainly conduct a dialogue.”

With the end of the treaty, Moscow “remains ready to take decisive military-technical measures to counter potential additional threats to the national security,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Even as New START expires, the U.S. and Russia agreed Thursday to reestablish high-level, military-to-military dialogue following a meeting between senior officials from both sides in Abu Dhabi, the U.S. military command in Europe said. The link was suspended in 2021 as relations between Moscow and Washington grew increasingly strained before Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

New START, signed in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, restricted each side to no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads on no more than 700 missiles and bombers — deployed and ready for use. It was originally supposed to expire in 2021 but was extended for five more years.

The pact envisioned sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance, although they stopped in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and never resumed.

In February 2023, Putin suspended Moscow’s participation, saying Russia couldn’t allow U.S. inspections of its nuclear sites at a time when Washington and its NATO allies have openly declared Moscow’s defeat in Ukraine as their goal. At the same time, the Kremlin emphasized it wasn’t withdrawing from the pact altogether, pledging to respect its caps on nuclear weapons.

In offering in September to abide by New START’s limits for a year to buy time for both sides to negotiate a successor agreement, Putin said the treaty's expiration would be destabilizing and could fuel nuclear proliferation.

New START was the last remaining pact in a long series of agreements between Moscow and Washington to limit their nuclear arsenals, starting with the SALT I in 1972.

Trump has indicated he would like to keep limits on nuclear weapons but wants to involve China in a potential new treaty.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Trump has made clear “in order to have true arms control in the 21st century, it’s impossible to do something that doesn’t include China because of their vast and rapidly growing stockpile.”

In his first term, Trump tried and failed to push for a three-way nuclear pact involving China. Beijing has balked at any restrictions on its smaller but growing nuclear arsenal, while urging the U.S. to resume nuclear talks with Russia.

“China’s nuclear forces are not at all on the same scale as those of the U.S. and Russia, and thus China will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at the current stage,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Thursday.

He said China regrets the expiration of New START and calls on the U.S. to resume nuclear dialogue with Russia soon. Beijing, he said, urges the U.S, to respond positively to Moscow’s suggestion that the two sides continue observing the core limits of the treaty for now.

Peskov reaffirmed Thursday that Moscow respects Beijing's position. He and other Russian officials have repeatedly argued that any attempt to negotiate a broader nuclear pact instead of a U.S.-Russian deal should also involve nuclear arsenals of NATO members France and the U.K.

Arms control advocates bemoaned the end of New START and warned of the imminent threat of a new arms race.

“If the Trump administration continues to stiff-arm nuclear arms control diplomacy with Russia and decides to increase the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. deployed strategic arsenal, it will only lead Russia to follow suit and encourage China to accelerate its ongoing strategic buildup in an attempt to maintain a strategic nuclear retaliatory strike capability vis-a-vis the United States,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association in Washington. “Such a scenario could lead to a years-long, dangerous three-way nuclear arms buildup.”

This version of the story corrects that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing calls on the U.S. to respond positively to Moscow’s proposal to keep adhering to the treaty, not that China views it positively.

Associated Press writers Ken Moritsugu in Beijing and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Additional AP coverage: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/

FILE - This photo released by the U.S. Air Force shows a B-52H Stratofortress approaching a KC-10 Extender for refueling over the Middle East, Sept. 4, 2022. (U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Shannon Bowman, via AP, File)

FILE - U.S. President Barack Obama, left, and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, right, shake hands at a news conference at the Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic,, April 8, 2010, after signing the New START treaty reducing long-range nuclear weapons. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, File)

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

FILE - This photo taken from a video distributed on Dec. 9, 2020 by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, shows a rocket launch as part of a ground-based intercontinental ballistic missile test at the Plesetsk facility in northwestern Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 3, 2026--

Vapexpo Paris 2026 has just wrapped up, and one device consistently drew crowds and sparked conversation throughout the show. From its eye-catching aesthetics to its thoughtfully engineered features, DRAG 6 proved to be one of the most talked-about launches of the event.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402959933/en/

DRAG 6 Earns Widespread Acclaim both Online and Offline!

Throughout the show, the most frequently heard compliment about the DRAG 6 was a simple but telling one: “I love the design.” One attendee was overheard joking, “I use the wattage dial as a perfect fidget tool, cause it really is satisfying.” That tactile enjoyment is no accident—paired with a capacitive unlock button, the dial allows users to interact with the device without the risk of accidentally disrupting their carefully set output power. Beyond the controls, the textured leather finish and angled side cuts contribute to a grip that feels natural and secure during extended use.

DRAG 6 also arrives equipped with the all-new UFORCE-X Tank II, with the PnP X Platform. A single PnP X coil is capable of sustaining up to 100 mL of e-liquid. A Reddit user reported going through 120 mL before noticing only a slightly burnt taste. Additional refinements include a rotary air adjustment dial for precise airflow control, while the transparent e-liquid reservoir allows users to monitor juice levels at a glance.

DRAG 6 consistently drew attendees to VOOPOO’s booth at Vapexpo Paris 2026. It was also noteworthy that several e-liquid brands chose to display and test the DRAG 6 at their own stands. It successfully balances high-end performance with genuine user engagement.

For Those Ready to Make the Move, Now Is the Time!

As the buzz from the exhibition continues to build, the DRAG 6 Early Bird Event is drawing to a close—but users can still join in for a chance to be one of 166 recipients of a free device, with a guaranteed 50% off coupon. With the combination of design, durability, and playability, DRAG 6 is poised to become another standout product in the DRAG lineage—one that is well worth the anticipation.

Warning: This product may be used with e-liquid products containing nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance.

DRAG 6 steals the spotlight at Vapexpo Paris 2026: A masterclass in design, durability, and playability