Last US-Russia nuclear treaty is expiring: Does it really matter?

Al JazeeraCenterEN 6 min read 100% complete by Sarah ShamimFebruary 3, 2026 at 02:46 PM

AI Summary

long article 6 min

The New START treaty between the US and Russia, limiting strategic nuclear weapons, is set to expire this week. Signed in 2010, the treaty limits each country to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads and 700 long-range missiles and bombers. It also allows for inspections of nuclear weapons sites. While Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested a one-year cap extension, the US President has yet to respond. New START was extended in 2021 for five years after US President Joe Biden took office. The treaty states that it can only be extended once.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Cold War 40% Soviet Union 50% Moscow 50% Joe Biden 50% Dmitry Medvedev 60% Barack Obama 60% Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) ×270% Donald Trump 70% Vladimir Putin ×290% Russia ×490% United States ×490% New START Treaty ×7100%

Keywords

new start treaty 90% nuclear disarmament 80% nuclear arms control 80% strategic arms reduction 70% strategic nuclear weapons 70% us-russia relations 60% treaty expiration 50%