In a complex and chaotic world, President Vladimir Putin has proposed a return to basics: a one-year adherence to the simple, verifiable limits of the expired New START treaty. The move is an attempt to strip away complexity and focus on the core principle of capping the most dangerous weapons.
The proposal emphasizes clarity and predictability. By committing to the well-established numbers of 1,550 deployed warheads and 700 delivery systems, Putin is offering a framework that requires no new negotiation and is understood by all parties.
This return to basics, however, must be a shared principle. Putin was clear that this simple approach is only “viable” if the United States also agrees to it. A move by Washington to introduce new complexities or seek advantages outside this basic framework would render the effort moot.
The benefit of this simplicity, Putin suggested, is that it could clear the path for more complex discussions. He expressed hope that a year of adhering to these basic rules could create the right atmosphere for a “substantive strategic dialogue” on other pressing security issues.
Russia has now laid its simple proposition on the table. The United States must now decide if it will embrace this return to the basics of arms control or if it will choose a more complicated and uncertain path.
