As the US–Russia New START treaty expires, President Donald Trump has called for fresh nuclear talks, raising concerns over global arms control and strategic stability
Trump Calls for New Nuclear Treaty After Russia Pact Expires, Raising Arms Race Fears
US–Russia New START Treaty: U.S. President Donald Trump, on Thursday, February 5, 2026, called for a new nuclear treaty after the expiration of the last arms control agreement between the United States and Russia. The move has raised global fears of a fresh nuclear arms race, as the treaty had placed limits on the world’s two largest nuclear powers.
The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that any future nuclear agreement must also include China, whose nuclear arsenal is expanding, though it remains far smaller than those of the U.S. and Russia. However, China has publicly rejected this pressure.
New START, signed in 2010, was the last remaining treaty that limited nuclear weapons held by the U.S. and Russia. It followed decades of arms control agreements dating back to the Cold War.
Trump had earlier remained mostly silent on Russia’s calls to extend the treaty. However, hours after it expired, he strongly criticised the deal, which was signed under Barack Obama and extended by Joe Biden, calling it "badly negotiated" and saying it "is being grossly violated."
On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "We should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future."
When asked whether Washington and Moscow had agreed to continue following New START limits while negotiating a new deal, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said, "Not to my knowledge."
Russia had already stopped allowing treaty inspections as relations worsened with the Biden administration. On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Moscow announced that it no longer considered itself bound by limits on nuclear warheads following the treaty’s expiration.
Even as New START collapsed, Trump has actively revived diplomatic engagement with Russia. He invited President Vladimir Putin to Alaska last August, signalling renewed talks.
On Thursday (February 5, 2026), the United States confirmed that it was resuming military dialogue with Russia after three-way talks in Abu Dhabi related to the Ukraine war.
Arms control campaigners have warned that the end of New START could reduce global stability and trigger a new nuclear arms race. In a joint statement on February 5, 2026, former senior arms control officials urged the U.S. and Russia to keep observing treaty limits as a first step. They warned that the collapse of the deal will reduce nuclear stability and predictability, threaten global security, and increase the risk of a new era of unconstrained nuclear competition.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the moment as extremely dangerous after more than 50 years of nuclear arms control agreements.
"This dissolution of decades of achievement could not come at a worse time the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest in decades," Guterres said, referring to earlier Russian remarks about using tactical nuclear weapons during the Ukraine war.
A NATO official, speaking anonymously, called for restraint and responsibility and said the alliance will continue to take steps necessary to protect its defence. The official also condemned Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, arms control was impossible without China’s participation. China responded the next day, expressing regret over New START’s collapse but clearly rejecting involvement for now.
"China will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. He further added, "China's nuclear capabilities are of a totally different scale as those of the United States and Russia."
The United States and Russia together control more than 80 percent of the world’s nuclear warheads. China’s arsenal is growing faster than any other nation’s, adding about 100 warheads a year since 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
China is estimated to have at least 600 nuclear warheads, compared to the 800-warhead cap that applied to the U.S. and Russia under New START. France and Britain, both U.S. allies, together possess around 100 nuclear warheads.
Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, agreed that China should be involved in future arms control discussions.
However, he said progress has been limited, there is no indication that Mr. Trump or his team have taken the time to propose risk reduction or arms control talks with China since returning to office in 2025," Kimball said.
