New START Treaty Expires, UN Chief Warns of “Grave Moment” for Global Nuclear Security
The last remaining nuclear arms control pact between the United States and Russia, the New START treaty, officially expired on February 5, 2026. This termination marks a pivotal and dangerous shift in global security, leaving the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals without binding limits for the first time in over half a century.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark statement, calling the expiration a “grave moment” for international peace and urging Washington and Moscow to resume negotiations immediately to prevent a new arms race and reduce escalating risks.
What the New START Treaty Achieved and Why Its End Matters
Signed in 2010, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) successfully capped U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear forces. Its key provisions limited each side to:
1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads
700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers
800 deployed and non-deployed launchers
Crucially, the treaty included verification measures like on-site inspections and data exchanges, which fostered transparency and predictability between the two nuclear superpowers. Its expiration, following a five-year extension in 2021, removes these critical safeguards at a time of severely heightened tensions due to the war in Ukraine and strategic competition with China.
UN Reaction: A “Dangerous Turning Point” and Call to Action
In his urgent warning, Guterres emphasized the unprecedented danger. “For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the Russian Federation and the United States of America,” he stated.
The UN chief warned that the risk of nuclear use is now higher than at any time since the Cold War. He called for both nations to “return to the negotiating table without delay” to establish a new, verifiable framework that restores stability, rebuilds trust, and prevents miscalculation.
Global Security Implications: The Risk of a New Arms Race
The lapse of New START has triggered profound global security concerns:
Unconstrained Buildup: Both nations are now theoretically free to expand their nuclear arsenals and develop new strategic weapons without mutual oversight.
Erosion of Non-Proliferation: The collapse undermines the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), as nuclear-armed states are obligated to pursue disarmament. This weakens the entire global non-proliferation regime.
Multilateral Complications: The situation is complicated by China’s rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal. Future arms control efforts now face the immense challenge of creating a framework that includes multiple nuclear powers, not just the U.S. and Russia.
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Political Stalemate and the Path Forward
The treaty’s end highlights the current political impasse. While Russian President Vladimir Putin had floated a voluntary, informal extension, no formal agreement was reached with the United States. U.S. officials have insisted that future arms control must account for all nuclear weapons, including those of China, making a simple bilateral successor treaty unlikely in the near term.
Despite the diplomatic breakdown, the international community, led by the UN’s urgent appeal, continues to press for dialogue. The expiration of New START is not just a bilateral issue but a global security crisis that demands immediate diplomatic engagement to avert a dangerous and costly new nuclear arms race.
