The U.S. and Russia are closing in on a deal to continue to observe the expiring New START arms control treaty beyond its expiration on Thursday, three sources familiar with those talks tell Axios.
- Two of the sources cautioned that the draft plan still needed approval from both presidents. An additional source confirmed that negotiations took place in Abu Dhabi, but not that an agreement had been reached.
Why it matters: New START is the last major guardrail constraining the nuclear arsenals of the two countries that together hold some 85% of the world's warheads.
