Final US-Russia Nuclear Treaty Set to Expire Amid Trump Silence
Washington: This Thursday, the New START treaty, the last arms control agreement limiting nuclear weapons between the United States and Russia, is set to expire, removing caps on deployed strategic warheads for the world’s two largest nuclear powers.
Signed in 2010 by Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, New START restricted each side to 1,550 deployed warheads and 800 delivery systems, aiming to curb nuclear escalation. Its expiration comes as President Donald Trump has remained largely silent, offering only fleeting support for an extension in September, with no follow-up action.
Experts warn that the lapse is a missed opportunity. Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association said sidelined career diplomats have slowed negotiations, while Jon Wolfsthal of the Federation of American Scientists called extending New START “low-hanging fruit” that could have been agreed quickly.
Russia has already suspended treaty inspections, and analysts suggest both powers now have freedom to expand and modernize arsenals, though immediate changes are unlikely. Trump has also sought to include China in a broader arms control framework, but Beijing remains outside such agreements.
The treaty’s end raises concerns over global nuclear stability, particularly with other nuclear states—India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea—operating outside international arms control frameworks. Observers warn the lapse may accelerate nuclear competition if new limits are not negotiated.
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