New START

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, expired in early February 2026. Signed in 2010, it limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads for each country to 1,550. Its expiration is newsworthy because it ends over half a century of nuclear arms control between the two nations, raising concerns about a potential new arms race. Russia offered a one-year extension, but President Trump rejected it, seeking a new agreement potentially involving China. Russia states it will abide by the treaty's limits as long as the US does the same. The lapse of New START coincides with China expanding its nuclear arsenal and increasing global tensions, moving the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. The situation is further complicated by accusations against China regarding clandestine nuclear tests, which China denies. The treaty's end signifies a shift towards a more uncertain and potentially dangerous nuclear landscape.