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The treaty in the news is called the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), an agreement between the United States and Russia that limited their nuclear weapons. It officially expired on 5 February 2026, ending the last major nuclear arms-control agreement between the two countries.
This treaty had set strict limits on how many strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems each country could deploy. For example, it capped each side at about 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and required inspections and data sharing to ensure transparency.
With its expiration, there are now no legally binding limits on the nuclear arsenals of the two largest nuclear powers for the first time in more than 50 years. Many global leaders and experts have described this as a serious or “grave” moment for international security.
Russia had earlier said it was willing to continue following the treaty’s limits for some time, but negotiations about extending or replacing the agreement did not succeed. The United States has indicated that any future agreement might include other countries like China, which has complicated talks.
Experts warn that without inspections and verification systems, both countries may have less visibility into each other’s nuclear forces. This increases the risk of mistrust, miscalculation, and a possible new nuclear arms race similar to Cold War tensions.
In short, the expiration of the New START treaty marks the end of the last formal nuclear weapons limitation between the U.S. and Russia, raising global concerns about security and future nuclear competition.
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