The United States has called for three-way nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China following the expiration of the New START treaty, the last major agreement limiting nuclear weapons between the two leading nuclear powers.
New START Treaty Expires
The New START treaty, which restricted the US and Russia to deploying 1,550 nuclear warheads each, lapsed yesterday, marking the first time in decades the world lacks a treaty to curb the planet’s most destructive weapons. US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Thomas DiNanno told the UN Conference on Disarmament that the treaty had “fundamental flaws.”
DiNanno stated that serial Russian violations, the growth of global nuclear stockpiles, and shortcomings in the treaty’s design and implementation necessitate a new approach to address current threats. “As we sit here today, China’s entire nuclear arsenal has no limits, no transparency, no declarations, had no controls,” he said.
Calls for Broader Participation
The US believes the next phase of arms control must include more than just Russia at the negotiating table. President Donald Trump previously declined a proposal from Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to extend New START’s restrictions and has called for a “new, improved and modernised treaty.”
DiNanno insisted that New START did not adequately address US strategic deterrence commitments to both its own people and its allies. “We aim to improve upon New START in order to achieve a new, better strategic stability and arms control architecture that makes the world safer and more secure,” he said.
China and Russia Respond
China has publicly rejected joining disarmament negotiations, maintaining that its nuclear arsenal is significantly smaller than those of the US and Russia, despite its rapid growth. China’s ambassador, Shen Jian, reiterated this position, stating its capabilities are “nowhere near the level of those of the US or Russia.”
Russia’s ambassador, Gennady Gatilov, suggested any new nuclear talks should also include France and Britain, both nuclear-armed states and allies of the US within NATO. He stated Russia “would be involved in such a process if the United Kingdom and France are also involved.”
Concerns of a New Arms Race
Campaigners have warned that the end of New START could trigger a global arms race and have urged nuclear powers to begin negotiations. A joint statement from former senior arms control officials called on the US and Russia to continue observing New START’s limits as an initial step.
The officials warned that the treaty’s expiration “will reduce nuclear stability and predictability, threaten global security, and increase the risk of a new era of unconstrained nuclear competition.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation as a “grave moment,” noting that the risk of nuclear weapon use is the highest it has been in decades, following suggestions from Russia regarding the use of tactical nuclear weapons during the Ukraine war.
A NATO official, speaking anonymously, called for “restraint and responsibility” and stated the alliance “will continue to take steps necessary” to ensure its defence, while condemning “Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.”
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