President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer to maintain limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons “sounds like a good idea,” signaling cautious openness to cooperation even as tensions rise over possible U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump on Sunday expressed tentative support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to voluntarily uphold existing limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons once the New START treaty expires in February. Speaking to reporters before departing the White House, Trump said Putin’s offer “sounds like a good idea,” referring to the Russian leader’s suggestion that both nations continue to observe the caps set by the 2010 arms control accord.
The offer comes as global attention remains fixed on deteriorating U.S.-Russia relations, which have soured since Trump and Putin met at their Alaska summit in August. Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said last week that Moscow was still awaiting an official response from Washington regarding the voluntary limits.
If implemented, the proposal would temporarily preserve the only remaining framework restraining the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, marking a rare moment of potential cooperation amid heightened geopolitical friction.
Meanwhile, tensions are escalating over Washington’s ongoing deliberations about whether to supply long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for strikes deep into Russian territory. In a video message released Sunday, Putin warned that such a move “will lead to the destruction of our relations, or at least the positive trends that have emerged.”
Putin also cautioned that Tomahawk transfers would represent “a qualitatively new stage of escalation.” The missiles, capable of traveling 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles), would place Moscow and much of European Russia within Ukrainian reach.
Vice President JD Vance confirmed last month that the U.S. was considering Kyiv’s request for the long-range weapons but noted that no final decision had been made. According to one U.S. official and three other sources cited by Reuters, the administration’s ability to meet that request may be limited by existing Navy commitments and production constraints.
Trump, who has voiced disappointment with Putin’s unwillingness to end the war in Ukraine, did not address the Tomahawk issue directly on Sunday. Instead, his remarks centered on maintaining nuclear restraint while reinforcing America’s naval readiness. He toured the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier off the Virginia coast before delivering a speech aboard the USS Harry S. Truman, emphasizing the importance of deterrence and “peace through strength.”
With both leaders signaling contrasting paths — one toward renewed arms control and the other toward potential escalation — the coming months could define whether the fragile balance between Washington and Moscow tilts toward cooperation or confrontation.