As tensions rise between Moscow and Washington, Russia has urged the U.S. to extend the New START nuclear arms treaty by a year. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on the U.S. to “cool down” and show restraint as the treaty nears its February 2026 expiration. The proposal follows a string of Russian nuclear weapons tests, including the Burevestnik missile, Poseidon drone, and Khabarovsk submarine, as both sides ramp up strategic competition. Meanwhile, the U.S. recently tested its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, marking a new phase in the arms race. The New START Treaty, originally signed by Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads and delivery systems. With Putin pressuring Trump for talks and the treaty’s future uncertain, global attention is turning to whether the world’s top nuclear powers can prevent a new escalation.