Trump: Putin's nuclear arms control offer sounds like a good idea

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer to voluntarily maintain limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons "sounds like a good idea", Reuters reported.

Putin last month offered to voluntarily maintain limits on the size of the world's two largest nuclear arsenals set by the 2010 New START treaty, which expires in February, if the US does the same.

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Trump told reporters when asked about Putin's offer. Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said last week that Moscow is still waiting for Trump to respond to Putin's offer to voluntarily maintain limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons after the key arms control treaty expires.

Any agreement to continue limiting nuclear weapons would run counter to the growing tensions between the United States and Russia since the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska in mid-August, given the reported incursions of Russian drones into NATO airspace.

Speaking in a video released on Sunday, Putin warned that a decision by the United States to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles for strikes deep into Russia would destroy Moscow's relationship with Washington.

US Vice President JD Vance said last month that Washington is considering Ukraine's request to acquire missiles that could hit deep into Russia, including Moscow, although it is unclear whether a final decision has been made.

Trump, who has expressed disappointment with Putin for not taking steps to end the war in Ukraine, was not directly asked on Sunday about the possibility of supplying Tomahawks to Ukraine.

"This will lead to the destruction of our relations, or at least the positive trends that have emerged in these relations," Putin said in a video released on Sunday by Russian state television journalist Pavel Zarubin.

A US official and three other sources told Reuters that the Trump administration's desire to send long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine may not be feasible because current supplies are intended for the US Navy and other purposes.

Tomahawk cruise missiles have a range of 2,500 kilometers.