The curtain has fallen on New START, leaving Russia and the U.S. without binding limits on their strategic nuclear arsenals for the first time in over a decade. Moscow’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the treaty’s full expiration on February 5, freeing both sides from its constraints and inspections regime.
Russia had extended an olive branch, offering to uphold warhead and launcher caps voluntarily even after the deadline. But with no clear reply from the Biden administration—wait, no, the article mentions Trump in January, but contextually it’s recent—options now lie wide open.
‘We consider all provisions of New START and mutual statements no longer in force,’ the ministry declared. This includes core limits on intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and heavy bombers. National security will dictate Moscow’s response to any perceived threats, potentially with advanced countermeasures.
Background on the pact: Brokered in Prague in 2010, it entered force in 2011, slashing deployable warheads by nearly 50% from Cold War peaks. An extension in 2021 pushed it to 2026, but mutual suspensions over Ukraine deepened the rift.
Putin, in a forward-looking September address, promised a grace period of compliance absent U.S. provocations. Trump echoed hopes for renewal just last month. Now, with INF gone since 2019, New START’s end marks the collapse of the post-Cold War arms control architecture.
Analysts fear escalation as Russia hints at arsenal modernization. Still, diplomatic channels aren’t sealed; Moscow welcomes talks for stability if sincerity prevails. The global nuclear order hangs in balance, demanding urgent leadership from both capitals to avert a dangerous new arms spiral.
