Guterres warns: The world will be without nuclear restrictions after the end of New START
In a strongly worded warning reflecting the gravity of the current international situation, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urgently called on the United States and Russia to return to the negotiating table and sign a new nuclear arms control agreement. This appeal comes as the New START Treaty expires, an event Guterres described as a “critical moment for international peace and security.”.
With the treaty officially expiring on Thursday, Moscow and Washington find themselves, for the first time in decades, free from the strict restrictions that were imposed on their nuclear arsenals, opening the door to worrying possibilities of a new arms race.
End of an era of nuclear control
In his statement, Guterres emphasized that the world is facing an unprecedented situation, the likes of which have not been seen in over half a century. He said, “For the first time, we are facing a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the two largest nuclear powers.” He noted that the New START Treaty, and previous arms control agreements, were crucial in dramatically improving the security of nations and sparing the world the horrors of nuclear war.
This treaty gains its historical importance from being the last major agreement remaining between the two sides. It was signed in 2010 and set a ceiling on the number of deployed strategic warheads at 1,550 for each side, which represented a decrease of nearly 30% compared to the limits imposed in 2002. The treaty also included strict verification mechanisms, including data exchange and mutual field inspections, which were effectively halted during the coronavirus pandemic and have not been resumed since.
The risks of a lack of agreement and its global impact
The Secretary-General warned that ending decades of diplomatic progress in arms control comes at the “worst possible time,” stressing that the risk of nuclear weapons use is now at its highest level in decades. Experts point out that the absence of a legally binding framework could erode mutual trust and increase uncertainty about both sides’ nuclear capabilities, raising the likelihood of miscalculations that could lead to uncontrollable catastrophes.
The United States and Russia together control more than 80% of the world’s total nuclear warheads, making any imbalance in the strategic balance between them a global national security issue whose repercussions are not limited to the two countries alone, but extend to threaten the stability of the entire international system.
Call for immediate action
Guterres concluded his message with a clear call for both parties to agree on an “alternative framework” without delay to fill the strategic void left by the treaty’s expiration. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the treaty parties are no longer bound by any mutual commitments or declarations, presenting the international community with a significant challenge in rebuilding the arms control system.
