The End of New START: An Era of Nuclear Arms Control Uncertainty

The New START treaty, limiting U.S.-Russia nuclear arms, has expired. Originally signed in 2010, it set binding limits on strategic warheads. Suspension of inspections, due to political tensions, has elevated nuclear risks. Absence of a follow-up treaty could provoke an arms race amid geopolitical strains.

The expiration of the New START treaty marks a significant shift in nuclear arms control, as the last remaining agreement between the U.S. and Russia comes to an end. This accord, crucial in limiting strategic warheads, was born out of a 2010 deal involving then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Signed during a period of attempted diplomatic 'reset,' New START set a ceiling of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads for each nation, including limitations on missiles and bombers. Despite the treaty's stipulations for monitoring compliance, inspections were halted, first due to the pandemic and more recently, political tensions arising from the U.S.'s support for Ukraine.

The treaty was extended once in 2021 under President Joe Biden, but as no new agreement replaces it, concerns grow about the potential for an escalating arms race. Experts stress the importance of these treaties in maintaining global stability and preventing the unchecked proliferation of nuclear weapons.

(With inputs from agencies.)