Scoop: US and Russia agree to observe New START nuclear pact after expiration [View all]

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: msn/Axios

12h

The U.S. and Russia are closing in on a deal to continue to observe the expiring New START arms control treaty beyond its expiration on Thursday, three sources familiar with those talks tell Axios.

Two of the sources cautioned that the draft plan still needed approval from both presidents. An additional source confirmed that negotiations had been taking place over the past 24 hours in Abu Dhabi, but not that an agreement had been reached.

Why it matters: New START is the last major guardrail constraining the nuclear arsenals of the two countries that together hold some 85% of the world's warheads.

Driving the news: President Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner negotiated on New START with Russian officials on the sidelines of Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi.

The treaty will still formally expire on Thursday, and the extension will not be legally formalized, a U.S. official said. But the parties have agreed to stick with its terms and negotiate toward a new agreement.

"We agreed with Russia to operate in good faith and to start a discussion about ways it could be updated," a U.S. official said.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/scoop-us-and-russia-agree-to-observe-new-start-nuclear-pact-after-expiration/ar-AA1VJhSZ