THE expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on 5 February 2026, ended the bilateral arms control agreement between Russia and the United States and set the stage for an unconstrained nuclear arms race between them.

Moreover, termination of the Treaty increases the likelihood of both vertical and horizontal proliferation in the rapidly evolving international strategic environment. A new risky nuclear arms race is in the offing, which the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, called a “grave moment for international peace and security.” Is nuclear order changing? The strategic arms reduction process between Moscow and Washington began with the signing of START-I on July 31, 1991. It required both sides to reduce their strategic nuclear arsenals. Russia and the US signed the New START on April 8, 2010, which entered into force on February 5, 2011. Its duration was initially for ten years from entry into force. It was extended for five years in February 2021. The United States accused Russia of violating the New START treaty on January 31, 2023. Rather than addressing the former’s concerns, the latter suspended the Treaty on February 21, 2023.

The bilateral strategic arms control was advantageous for both parties. It introduced mutual restraint in developing dangerous, expensive and unnecessary nuclear weapons. For instance, the New START limited Russia and the US to 1550 deployed........

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