World on Brink as Historic Nuclear Arms Control Treaty Expires Amid Global Instability
The world is facing a "grave moment" for international peace and security as the last nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia expired, sparking fears of a global arms race. The New Start agreement, which limited each side's nuclear arsenal to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads, officially ended on Thursday, releasing both Moscow and Washington from a raft of restrictions.
According to UN Secretary General António Guterres, this development could not come at a worse time, with the risk of a nuclear weapon being used reaching its highest level in decades. Russia's suggestion of using tactical nuclear weapons during the Ukraine war has raised concerns about the potential for escalation.
The US and Russia together control over 80% of the world's nuclear warheads, leaving global security vulnerable to the absence of binding limits on their strategic nuclear arsenals. Guterres urged Washington and Moscow to return to the negotiating table without delay to agree upon a successor framework, emphasizing that this dissolution of decades of achievement could not be allowed to happen at a time of surging global instability.
The expiration of New Start also threatens the 1970 nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), which is set for review this year. The NPT's core objective – preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to new states – may be undermined if the US and Russia fail to establish a new arms control framework, according to diplomats.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev expressed concerns about the treaty's demise, warning that its expiration could spark another arms race that makes the world less safe. The Biden administration has attempted to extend New Start for five years, but tensions between the two countries have made it challenging to reach an agreement.
As a result of Trump's administration not following up on Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to extend the treaty's limits for one year, observers argue that the expiration of New Start is more a result of bureaucratic inefficiency rather than ideological differences. Meanwhile, China's rapidly growing nuclear arsenal has sparked calls for a new arms control framework that includes Beijing.
With global security hanging in the balance, world leaders are under pressure to act swiftly to prevent an escalation of tensions and promote disarmament. As Pope Leo XIV urged both sides to do "everything possible" to avert a new arms race, the fate of international peace hangs precariously in the balance.
The world is facing a "grave moment" for international peace and security as the last nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia expired, sparking fears of a global arms race. The New Start agreement, which limited each side's nuclear arsenal to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads, officially ended on Thursday, releasing both Moscow and Washington from a raft of restrictions.
According to UN Secretary General António Guterres, this development could not come at a worse time, with the risk of a nuclear weapon being used reaching its highest level in decades. Russia's suggestion of using tactical nuclear weapons during the Ukraine war has raised concerns about the potential for escalation.
The US and Russia together control over 80% of the world's nuclear warheads, leaving global security vulnerable to the absence of binding limits on their strategic nuclear arsenals. Guterres urged Washington and Moscow to return to the negotiating table without delay to agree upon a successor framework, emphasizing that this dissolution of decades of achievement could not be allowed to happen at a time of surging global instability.
The expiration of New Start also threatens the 1970 nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), which is set for review this year. The NPT's core objective – preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to new states – may be undermined if the US and Russia fail to establish a new arms control framework, according to diplomats.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev expressed concerns about the treaty's demise, warning that its expiration could spark another arms race that makes the world less safe. The Biden administration has attempted to extend New Start for five years, but tensions between the two countries have made it challenging to reach an agreement.
As a result of Trump's administration not following up on Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to extend the treaty's limits for one year, observers argue that the expiration of New Start is more a result of bureaucratic inefficiency rather than ideological differences. Meanwhile, China's rapidly growing nuclear arsenal has sparked calls for a new arms control framework that includes Beijing.
With global security hanging in the balance, world leaders are under pressure to act swiftly to prevent an escalation of tensions and promote disarmament. As Pope Leo XIV urged both sides to do "everything possible" to avert a new arms race, the fate of international peace hangs precariously in the balance.
. it feels like we're taking two steps back after decades of progress on nuclear disarmament. the US and Russia should've been more proactive about extending New Start instead of leaving it up to bureaucratic inefficiency 
. china's growing nuke arsenal is a wake-up call for all of us, but the lack of global cooperation on this issue is concerning 
. gotta hope world leaders can put aside their differences and work towards a new arms control framework ASAP 
.
and the us and russia are like the 2 biggest schools in the world controlling most of the nuclear warheads its crazy 
where we're standing at the edge of a nuclear cliff and can't seem to find our footing. 80% of the world's nuclear warheads are controlled by two countries, that's just crazy talk 
. I mean, what if China gets in on the action? We need some new leadership on this one ASAP 
. Can we please just have a reality check and remember that there's more to global security than just nuclear arms 
. We need disarmament, not escalation 
.
i'm literally holding my breath waiting for them to come back to the negotiating table and figure out some kinda new deal that doesn't involve everyone getting blown up 
[A picture of a nuclear mushroom cloud with a red "X" marked through it, surrounded by broken chains and shattered fragments]
it's not like we're gonna be able to protect ourselves if these two go nuclear... China's got its own issues, but come on... 
we need a new deal ASAP, before things get out of hand... 
the thought of another arms race is giving me anxiety just thinking about it... 
the us and russia are like the 2 most powerful nukes holding countries in the world and now that theyre not bound by any treaty its gonna be chaos 
️
we need global cooperation on this issue or else the consequences will be catastrophic 
this is just great, a historic treaty expires at a time when we're already dealing with global instability 
it's like we're back to square one... i mean, china's got its own nuclear program going on and it feels like we're setting up for another arms race 
the usr should really try to extend new start or come up with a new framework ASAP... it's not like they have a lot of time before things get out of hand 
This is such a worrying time for the world. The thought of no more limits on nuclear arms is just too much to bear 
. I can only imagine how scared and helpless people are, especially those living in Ukraine right now 
. We need leaders who are willing to work together to find solutions, not just stand by their own interests 
. It's time for the US and Russia to put aside their differences and get back to the negotiating table ASAP 
. The world is counting on it!