The world just lost its last major safeguard against an unchecked nuclear arms race. The New START treaty, which for years limited the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia, has officially expired. This marks a significant moment, as for the first time in over half a century, there are no binding caps on the world’s two largest stockpiles of atomic weapons, sparking serious global concern.
This crucial agreement, signed in 2010, restricted each nation to specific limits on deployed nuclear warheads and the missiles and bombers that carry them. Its expiration leaves a gaping hole, raising fears of an escalating competition to build more devastating weapons. While Russia had previously suspended its participation, it had pledged to respect the treaty’s limits.
The path forward is complicated. Both the U.S. and Russia acknowledge the urgent need to launch new arms control discussions. However, a major sticking point is China. The United States insists that any future pact must include Beijing, pointing to China’s rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal and even accusing it of conducting covert nuclear tests.
China, however, firmly rejects these allegations and has, so far, refused to join any such negotiations. Beijing argues that its nuclear capabilities are far smaller than those of the U.S. and Russia, and that it already adheres to a testing moratorium.
Despite these disagreements, there’s a glimmer of hope. Negotiators from both the U.S. and Russia recently met in the United Arab Emirates. They emerged with an agreement: talks on future nuclear arms control must begin as soon as possible. The urgency is clear – with no formal limits in place, the responsibility to prevent a new, dangerous arms race falls squarely on these diplomatic efforts. The world watches to see if new common ground can be found to secure global safety.
