US and Russia Set to Miss Final Nuclear Warhead Treaty Deadline

US-Russia New START Treaty Set to Expire, Experts Warn of Potential Nuclear Arms Race

The US-Russia New START treaty, which limits the deployment of strategic nuclear weapons, is set to expire on Thursday. The treaty, signed in 2010, will no longer be binding for Russia and the United States. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the US had not responded to President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to continue observing the missile and warhead limits for another 12 months.

The New START treaty restricts the deployment of strategic nuclear weapons, which are designed to hit an adversary’s key targets. The expiry of the treaty means that both Russia and the United States will be free to increase their missile numbers and deploy hundreds more strategic warheads. This could pose logistical challenges and take time.

Security experts warn that the end of New START risks sparking a new nuclear arms race, which could also be fueled by China’s rapid nuclear build-up. Without the treaty, each side will be able to upload hundreds of additional warheads onto their deployed missiles and heavy bombers, roughly doubling their currently deployed arsenals in the most maximalist scenario.

The US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in a new agreement to restrict nuclear weapons, but no details have been announced yet. China’s involvement in any future nuclear talks is also being considered by Trump. The expiry of New START will not affect the current number of nuclear warheads deployed by Russia and the United States, as these numbers are already limited by other agreements.

The Pope has urged both sides to continue observing the limits set in the treaty, calling for a shared ethic that guides choices towards the common good.

Source: Al Jazeera