Putin Attempts to Resurrect Arms Control Norms for One Year

In an attempt to resurrect long-standing arms control norms, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a one-year voluntary commitment to the principles of the expired New START treaty. The move is an effort to prevent a complete collapse of the traditional security architecture.
Putin’s address invoked the core norms of strategic arms control: predictability, restraint, and stability. He argued that maintaining the status quo of 1,550 deployed warheads was a justified measure to uphold these principles in a “turbulent period.”
However, the resurrection of these norms cannot be a unilateral effort. Putin was clear that this initiative requires buy-in from the United States. He stated that the measure is only “viable” if the U.S. also abides by these unwritten rules and does not seek to upend the balance.
The ultimate goal of this revival is to create a foundation for new formal agreements. Putin suggested that a year of shared adherence to these norms could create an atmosphere “conducive to substantive strategic dialogue,” which is the first step toward building a new treaty.
For the next twelve months, Russia will act as if these norms are still in effect. Whether they are truly resurrected or are left to the history books will depend on the American response.