Russia Signals Willingness to Cap Nuclear Warheads; Kremlin Announces New Round of Russia-US-Ukraine Talks

On February 11, 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow is currently willing to keep its nuclear arsenal within the limits set by the New START treaty, even though the pact expired on February 5 and no longer has legal force, provided that the United States also adheres to the same caps. On the same day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that a new round of US-mediated talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States is expected to take place soon, with the specific date and venue to be announced later.

This follows two previous rounds of negotiations held in Abu Dhabi, which resulted in the first prisoner exchange in five months. Responding to rumors about a potential election in Ukraine, Peskov stated it was premature to discuss such plans. Regarding recent European rhetoric about preparing for war with Russia, Lavrov had warned on February 8 that if Europe were to attack, Russia would respond with all available military means, not just a special military operation.