New START Treaty Ends: Global Nuclear Stability at Risk

• The New START treaty, the last binding nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia, expired on February 5, 2026.
• The treaty capped deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 for each country, signed in 2010 by Obama and Medvedev.
• Its expiration allows both countries to expand or modernize nuclear stockpiles without limits, potentially undermining strategic stability.
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it a "grave moment" and warned of the highest nuclear use risk in decades.
• Experts believe the lapse weakens global nuclear arms control, potentially impacting the NPT and encouraging other states to expand arsenals.