End of Nuclear Treaty Between Russia and the U.S. Puts the World on Alert
New START Expiration Marks the End of a Major Arms Control Agreement
On February 5, the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between Russia and the United States expired without extension or replacement, potentially paving the way for both nations to rapidly rebuild their nuclear arsenals.
The modern world has now entered a new and potentially dangerous chapter in its history — a milestone that largely passed unnoticed by the general public.
Why the New START Treaty Was Important
The New START Treaty was a comprehensive nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia. It established verifiable limits on the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and other strategic nuclear weapons each country could deploy.
According to the U.S. Department of State, the treaty capped deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550, with no more than 800 deployed and non-deployed strategic launchers.
Another key limitation of the agreement restricted both countries to a maximum of 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers. Each heavy bomber equipped to carry a nuclear weapon was counted toward the overall total.
The treaty officially entered into force on February 5, 2011. Both Russia and the United States met the established limits by February 5, 2018, as required by the agreement, and had remained within or below those limits since then.
Warning of a New Nuclear Arms Race
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) warned in a recent report that unless Moscow and Washington agree to maintain limits on their arsenals, the world could be entering “a period of potential uncontrolled nuclear buildup.”
NTI explained that this new arms race would likely be more complex than the Cold War nuclear competition, due to additional factors such as China’s expanding nuclear capabilities and destabilizing emerging technologies.
Concern at the United Nations
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, warned that the world has reached a “grave moment for international peace and security.”
“For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the two states that possess the vast majority of the global nuclear weapons stockpile,” Guterres said in a statement, as reported by The Guardian.
He emphasized that the New START Treaty and similar critical arms control agreements had “dramatically improved the security of all peoples.”
“This unraveling of decades of arms control achievements could not come at a worse time — the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is higher than it has been in decades,” Guterres added.
The World’s Largest Nuclear Powers
According to The Guardian, Russia and the United States control approximately 80% of the world’s nuclear weapons. The expiration of the treaty therefore marks the end of a significant era in global arms control.
Calls for a Broader Nuclear Arms Agreement
On February 4, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that President Donald Trump intends to renew calls for a new nuclear arms control agreement — one that would also include China.
“The President has made clear in the past that for true arms control in the 21st century, it is impossible to pursue an agreement that does not include China, given its vast and rapidly growing stockpile,” Rubio explained.
A Turning Point for Global Security
The expiration of the New START Treaty signals a turning point for international security. With no binding limits currently in place between the two largest nuclear powers, experts warn that the world may be entering a new and uncertain era — one that demands renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent an uncontrolled nuclear arms race.
