New START Treaty Expires

The New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction agreement between the United States and Russia, expired on February 5, 2026. This event marks the first time in over half a century that there are no binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of these two nations, which possess the overwhelming majority of the world's nuclear weapons. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has described this as a 'grave moment' for international peace and security, emphasizing that the risk of nuclear weapon use is at its highest in decades. Guterres urged both the United States and Russia to promptly return to negotiations to establish a new framework that restores verifiable limits, reduces risks, and strengthens global security. The expiration follows a trend of dissolving arms control agreements, including the United States' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019.