US-Russia New START Treaty: Midnight Deadline Looms, Abu Dhabi Talks Offer Hope

• The New START treaty, limiting US and Russian strategic nuclear warheads, expires tonight, February 5, 2026.
• Diplomatic talks in Abu Dhabi, UAE, between US and Russian officials offer renewed hope for an extension or interim deal.
• The treaty, signed in 2010, is the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the two superpowers.
• Without the treaty, there will be no legal constraints on the world's two largest nuclear arsenals, potentially leading to a dangerous arms race.
• An interim deal might involve voluntarily observing treaty limits for six months, though formal extension requires US Senate approval and verification remains a challenge.