Fears of nuclear arms race rise as US-Russia treaty expires

MLN: 05/02/2026 The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia is set to expire Thursday, leaving no binding limits on the two countries’ strategic nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than five decades.

Lawmakers and arms control advocates warned the lapse of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New start, could accelerate a new and dangerous arms race.

New start caps each side at 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and 700 deployed launchers, with inspections and data exchanges designed to reduce miscalculation.

Sen. Ed Markey warned that if the treaty ends, “there will be nothing, just nothing to stop a dangerous new nuclear arms race.” Rep. John Garamendi said an unconstrained buildup would be, extraordinarily dangerous and raise the risk of accidents and misunderstandings.

The treaty was extended once under the Biden administration and cannot be renewed again, meaning a new agreement would require negotiation and Senate approval. President Donald Trump said last month, “If it expires, it expires.

We’ll do a better agreement,” while signaling he wants China included in future talks. The White House said Trump would outline his arms control strategy on his own timeline and wants to keep limits on nuclear weapons while involving Beijing.

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Russia warned the expiration would make the global security environment more dangerous. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “Time is running out fast,” adding that Moscow’s proposal to continue observing limits remained on the table.

Former President Barack Obama urged Congress to prevent the treaty from lapsing, warning it would erase decades of diplomacy and heighten nuclear risks.

Republican leaders have argued the treaty reflects outdated assumptions, citing Russia’s suspension of participation in 2023 and growing threats from China and North Korea.

Arms control experts counter that losing formal limits increases the chances of miscalculation and escalation at a moment of heightened global

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