Biden Holds First Phone Call with Putin...Agrees to Extend Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty

US-Russia Agree on Most Urgent Bilateral Issue
Discussing Navalny, Ukraine, and Other Matters Beyond Nuclear Deal

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden held his first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin since taking office and agreed to extend the nuclear arms reduction treaty, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which had been the most urgent issue in U.S.-Russia relations.

According to Russian news agency TASS and other foreign media on the 26th (local time), Presidents Biden and Putin held a phone call and agreed to extend the New START treaty for five years. TASS reported that the U.S. and Russian diplomatic authorities exchanged diplomatic notes regarding the extension of New START on the same day. The U.S. side proposed extending the treaty period by five years in a note delivered to Russia through the U.S. Embassy in Russia, and the Russian Foreign Ministry responded with a note accepting the proposal. Accordingly, the New START treaty is now valid until February 5, 2026.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained the phone call between the two leaders during a press briefing, stating, "President Biden reaffirmed the United States' firm support for Ukraine's sovereignty and raised concerns about issues including the hacking of U.S. federal agencies, Russia's alleged involvement in the killing of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, Russian interference in last year's U.S. presidential election, and the attempted poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny." She added, "President Biden made it clear that the United States will act decisively to protect its national interests in response to Russia's actions that harm the U.S. or its allies."

The Kremlin announced that President Putin submitted a ratification bill for the unconditional five-year extension of the New START agreement to the Russian State Duma on the same day. In a supplementary explanation of the ratification bill, President Putin stated, "In January of this year, both sides reached a principle agreement to extend the treaty for five years, and on January 26, an agreement on the extension of the treaty was concluded between the two countries." The Russian State Duma and Federation Council are scheduled to review the ratification bill on the 27th.

The Kremlin stated, "President Putin expressed satisfaction with the agreement reached today on the extension of the New START treaty and the exchange of diplomatic notes," adding, "Within a few days, both sides will complete all necessary procedures, including additional functions of the international legal framework for mutual limitations of nuclear forces."

Meanwhile, the New START treaty is a nuclear arms reduction agreement signed in April 2010 by then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. It aims to reduce the number of deployed nuclear warheads by both the U.S. and Russia to fewer than 1,550 and limit the delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers, to fewer than 700 each. During the Donald Trump administration, the U.S. argued that China should be included in the treaty, which led to strong opposition from Russia and China, deepening disagreements and leaving the issue to the Biden administration.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.