Key US-Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty 'New START' Expires, Ending Limits on Arsenals

Kathmandu. The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States, 'New START,' expired on Thursday. The expiration of this treaty creates a situation where the two major nuclear powers have no arms limits for the first time in over half a century.

Following the treaty's expiration, experts have warned of an increased risk of a new, uncontrolled nuclear arms race. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a one-year extension to the treaty limits last year, but US President Donald Trump did not commit to an extension. Trump has indicated that China should be included in any potential new agreement, but Beijing has rejected this.

Putin discussed the treaty's expiration with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, but according to Kremlin advisor Yuri Ushakov, Washington has not responded to the proposal. Russia stated it will take balanced and responsible steps after an in-depth analysis of the security situation. A statement from the Foreign Ministry said that after the treaty expires, Russia is no longer bound by the main provisions or any obligations and can independently determine its next steps.

The New START treaty was signed in 2010 by then-US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The treaty limited each side to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads on no more than 700 missiles and bombers. The treaty was set to expire in 2021 but was extended for five years. The treaty included provisions for on-site inspections to verify compliance, but these inspections were halted after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

In February 2023, Putin stated that Russia could not allow inspections of its sites after Washington and NATO declared Moscow's defeat in the conflict with Ukraine as their goal, suspending US inspections. However, the Kremlin clarified that it would continue to respect the main restrictions of the treaty and was not completely withdrawing.

The 2010 New START agreement continued the long historical series of US-Russia nuclear arms reductions, all previous agreements of which have already expired. Trump has proposed including China in a new agreement, but Beijing has refused to accept any restrictions on its growing nuclear stockpile.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, China is not ready to participate in talks at the current stage but calls for a quick resumption of talks with the US and Russia, urging both sides to continue adhering to the current treaty limits.