MOSCOW – The Kremlin on Monday expressed optimism after U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to voluntarily maintain for one year the limits on deployed strategic nuclear weapons outlined in the New START Treaty. The treaty, the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control pact, is set to expire on February 5, 2026.Putin first made the offer in September, and when asked about it on Sunday, Trump said, “Sounds like a good idea to me.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov hailed the remarks, calling them a positive sign that Washington may endorse the initiative. Russia and the United States hold about 87 percent of the global nuclear arsenal, with Russia possessing 5,459 nuclear warheads and the U.S. holding 5,177, as reported by the Federation of Atomic Scientists.