The Expiry of the New START Treaty and the Emergence of a New Nuclear Rivalry
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the last remaining bilateral nuclear arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia, officially expired on February 5. Originally signed in 2010, it limited deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550. Following the conflict in Ukraine, Russia suspended its participation in 2023. The treaty's end leaves no legally binding limits on the world's two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time since 1972. This creates a vacuum in transparency and predictability, potentially triggering a new arms race involving other nuclear powers like China.
Key Points
- New START was the final bilateral agreement constraining the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia.
- The treaty established verifiable limits, including 1,550 deployed warheads and 18 on-site inspections per year.
- Russia's suspension of the treaty in 2023 was a response to escalating tensions over the Ukraine conflict.
- The absence of a successor treaty complicates global non-proliferation efforts and increases the risk of nuclear miscalculation.
Exam Facts
- New START expiration date: February 5.
- Warhead limit under the treaty: 1,550 deployed warheads.
- Year of original enforcement: 2011.
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