Expiry of Last U.S.–Russia Nuclear Treaty Sparks Global Arms Race Concerns

The impending expiration of the New START nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia has triggered widespread concern among global security experts, raising the prospect of a new nuclear arms race.

New START, the last remaining treaty limiting deployed strategic nuclear warheads, is set to lapse without a replacement agreement in place. The treaty has served as a cornerstone of nuclear stability for over a decade, placing verifiable limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals.

Officials in Washington said diplomatic channels remain open, but talks have stalled amid deteriorating U.S.–Russia relations. Moscow, meanwhile, has blamed geopolitical tensions and sanctions for the lack of progress.

Analysts warn that without treaty constraints, both nations could rapidly expand their nuclear stockpiles, increasing global instability and weakening decades of arms-control architecture.

International leaders and non-proliferation advocates have called for urgent dialogue to prevent a return to Cold War-era nuclear competition.