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New START

Event

New START treaty between US & Russia expired Feb 2026, raising arms race fears amid global tensions.

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Event Overview

The New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the US 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 restraints on the world's two largest nuclear powers, raising fears of a new arms race. Despite Russia offering an extension, President Trump rejected it, seeking a new agreement. Russia states it will abide by the treaty's limits as long as the US does, while also expressing readiness to respond to US weapons deployments. China's growing nuclear arsenal and alleged clandestine nuclear tests further complicate the situation. The treaty's lapse coincides with heightened global tensions and a perceived increase in the risk of nuclear catastrophe, as reflected by the Doomsday Clock moving closer to midnight.
Last updated: May 4, 2026