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United States President Donald Trump has called for a new nuclear deal with Russia, after the last agreement between the two countries, New START, expired on February 5, 2026, eliminating legal restrictions on the nuclear arsenals of the two powers with the largest atomic capacities in the world.
According to historical documents, New START was signed in 2010 by then-US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, and aimed to limit the number of strategically deployed nuclear warheads to a maximum of 1,550 for each side, as well as to establish inspections and verification mechanisms. The treaty was extended once in 2021 for five years, but due to recent political tensions and disagreements over control mechanisms, no one managed to negotiate an extension or a replacement.
In a post on the social network Truth Social, Trump described New START as a “badly negotiated” and broken agreement, saying the US should develop a new, improved and modernized treaty that can stand up to the challenges of the 21st century. He also mentioned including China in future arms control talks, a suggestion that Beijing has rejected, arguing that it is not part of a bilateral treaty with major nuclear powers.
Russia, for its part, has expressed regret over the treaty's expiration and stressed the need to start new talks as soon as possible to avoid an "uncontrolled arms race." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stressed that any extension must be formal, and not just voluntary.
Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called the end of the treaty a “dangerous moment” for international peace and security. He warned that the lack of a legal framework for nuclear control increases the possibility of an arms race and undermines the credibility of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which is undergoing a global review in 2026.
International security policy experts warn that moving beyond New START could lead to continued nuclear arms buildup and increased strategic uncertainty, given the lack of verification mechanisms or transparency between Moscow and Washington. Without a replacement treaty or an intermediary agreement to maintain the limits, the US and Russia could increase their arsenals without legal restraints.
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