Khaberni - UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the end of the “New START” treaty as representing a "critical moment" for international peace and security, while Russia said it is no longer bound by the treaty whereas Washington opted to remain silent.
Guterres said that for the first time in more than half a century, the world faces no binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia.
He emphasized that nuclear arms control during and after the Cold War helped to avert disaster and build global stability.
Guterres urged Washington and Moscow to immediately return to the negotiation table, and agree on an alternative framework that restores verifiable limits and enhances shared security.
Russian Announcement and American Silence
Russia announced on Wednesday that it is no longer bound by the "New START" nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States, with the agreement expiring on Thursday, opening the door to a new era of uncertainty in the global nuclear field amid fears of a potential arms race.
In contrast, Washington has largely remained silent about its next steps, with U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio stating he has no announcement at this time, noting that President Donald Trump will speak later, without specifying when.
Rubio confirmed the United States' desire to engage China in any discussions due to its rapidly growing nuclear stockpile.
Warning of a New Nuclear Arms Race
In international reactions, Germany expressed concern about Moscow's stance, while France called on major nuclear powers to work on an international arms reduction system, noting that the end of "New START" means the disappearance of any limits on the world's largest nuclear arsenals for the first time since the Cold War.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV called for "preventing a new arms race," emphasizing the need to replace "the logic of fear and distrust with a shared ethic."
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) warned of an accelerating arms race between the United States and Russia, calling for both parties to explicitly commit to the treaty's limits while negotiating a new framework.
The "New START" treaty, signed in 2010, was the last arms control agreement between Washington and Moscow, setting a limit of 800 deployment platforms and 1550 strategic nuclear warheads for each party, with mutual verification mechanisms.
The expiration of the treaty marks a transition to a less controlled nuclear regime, especially after the suspension of inspection operations in 2023 following the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022.
