NATO warns of an arms race after the end of the New START treaty
NATO has issued an urgent appeal to world powers to exercise maximum restraint and uphold international responsibility, coinciding with the expiration of the New START treaty, the last legally binding framework for nuclear arms control between the United States and Russia. The appeal, delivered by a NATO official, warned of the serious consequences of this strategic vacuum.
Reports quoted the NATO official as affirming that "restraint and transparency in the nuclear field are two fundamental pillars of global security," noting that the alliance is closely monitoring international developments on this sensitive issue. He explained that the challenges are not limited to the expiration of the treaty with Russia, but also extend to China, which is rapidly strengthening and modernizing its nuclear arsenal, prompting NATO to emphasize that it "will continue to take the necessary steps" to ensure the deterrence and defense capabilities of its member states.
Historical background: What is the New START Treaty?
The New START Treaty holds immense historical and strategic importance. It was signed in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2010 by then-US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev. The treaty entered into force in 2011, with the aim of establishing binding limits on both sides to curb the arms race that characterized the Cold War era.
The treaty stipulated a ceiling of 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads per country, representing a 30% reduction compared to the previous treaty concluded in 2002. The treaty also limited the number of launch platforms and heavy bombers to 800 and included strict mechanisms for mutual verification and monitoring, including data exchange and field inspections, which effectively ceased before the treaty officially ended.
Global risks and new challenges
With the treaty's expiration on Thursday, the world enters a new phase of strategic uncertainty, as there are currently no legal constraints limiting the nuclear arsenals of the world's two largest nuclear powers. The Kremlin has expressed regret over this outcome, blaming current geopolitical circumstances, particularly after Moscow's earlier announcement that it was suspending its participation in the treaty.
In a related development, China's position further complicates the security landscape. Beijing has declared its intention not to participate in any trilateral nuclear disarmament talks at present, despite repeated US demands for China's involvement in such security arrangements. Observers believe that the absence of a legal framework governing nuclear weapons could open the door to a new, unchecked arms race, threatening global strategic stability and increasing the likelihood of military miscalculations among major powers.
