Kremlin says Russia-US arms control talks are far behind schedule
The Kremlin said on Monday that arms control talks between Russia and the United States are now very far behind schedule. It said that if the discussions resume, they would need to be lengthy and carefully handled. The statement adds to signs that the wider bilateral relationship remains strained.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia wants to restore relations with Washington, but that disagreements over the war in Ukraine have so far blocked any meaningful reset. He also addressed calls by Donald Trump for trilateral arms control talks involving China. According to Peskov, Beijing's position against taking part has not changed.
China has repeatedly argued that its nuclear arsenal is much smaller than those of Russia and the United States, and that this makes its participation unnecessary. That position has been a recurring obstacle to efforts to broaden strategic arms discussions beyond the two largest nuclear powers. The Kremlin's comments suggest there is still no sign of movement on that issue.
The remarks matter because arms control has long been one of the few areas where Moscow and Washington have sought to manage strategic risk even during periods of political tension. The breakdown in relations since the war in Ukraine has made that task more difficult. Any future talks would therefore take place against a backdrop of deep mistrust and wider security disputes.
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Russia and the United States have a long history of negotiating limits on nuclear weapons and delivery systems, but the current diplomatic climate appears far removed from that tradition. Moscow has said repeatedly that it wants to rebuild ties with Washington, yet the war in Ukraine remains the main barrier. The latest comments indicate that strategic stability talks are still dependent on broader political conditions that have not improved.
What remains unclear is when, or whether, formal negotiations could restart. There is also no indication that China is prepared to change its position on trilateral talks. For now, the Kremlin's message points to a prolonged pause rather than any immediate diplomatic breakthrough.
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