Trump Welcomes Putin's Nuclear Arms Control Offer

Putin's Proposal and U.S. Response
Putin stated that Russia would voluntarily continue the limits of the New START treaty if the U.S. would do so also - and when asked about that proposal on Sunday before departing from the White House, Trump said, "Sounds like a good idea to me."

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia had remarked earlier that Moscow was awaiting a formal response from the U.S. concerning that proposal. A possible extension of limits on nuclear arms would be inconsistent with tensions between the two countries in light of reports that Russian drones have entered NATO airspace since Trump and Putin met in Alaska in mid-August.

Tension over Ukraine and Missiles
Putin warned in a video message released on Sunday that if the U.S. were to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles that could hit deep inside Russia, it would "destroy the relationship with Washington." Putin's warning came amid a discussion in Washington over Ukraine's request for weapons.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated last month that Washington was weighing the request for missiles, but no decision had been finalized to this point. Trump has publicly expressed disappointment with Putin that he had not ended the war in Ukraine, but did not weigh in on the Tomahawk missile issue in his comments on Sunday.

Putin cautioned, "This will lead to the destruction of our relations or to at least the positive trends that have emerged in these relations." The statement was cited on the air by Russian state television reporter Pavel Zarubin.

A U.S. official said on Monday that the Trump administration's possible plan to provide Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine might be challenging logistically since Tomahawk missiles have existing stockpiles allocated to the U.S. Navy and other military usage. The Tomahawk cruise missiles allow Ukraine to attack sites across European Russia, including hitting Moscow and can hit a target deep into Russia with a range of around 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles).

Trump made the remarks while touring the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush off the coast of Virginia and later in the day was to deliver a second speech aboard the Harry S. Truman.