The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States (US) and Russia, signed in 2010, is set to expire on February 6, 2026. This has heightened concerns about a possible arms race amid rising geopolitical tensions.
New START limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems maintained by each side. It also limits each side from increasing their deployed warheads beyond the 1,550 mark.
New START is one of the eight such agreements between the two countries. In the wake of the Ukraine-Russia war and other geopolitical conflicts, failure to renew the treaty would mark the end of 50 years of nuclear arms control.
According to Daily MailThe United States and Russia together have 87 percent of the world’s nuclear arsenal. If they decide to operate independently without mutual restrictions, this could start another arms race, prompting other major powers to expand their nuclear arsenals for security reasons.
Experts have warned that at times when both the Russian and US governments are unpredictable, the absence of a vital global arms control framework could prove disastrous for the world.
The treaty itself cannot be extended, as it only allowed one extension, which was used by Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Joe Biden in 2021 for five years.
However, President Trump has expressed hope to formulate a new and “better” deal. In an interview with New York Times on Wednesday he said: “If it expires, it expires. We just want to make a better deal.”
Trump added that since China has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal, it should also be included in the new treaty.
