Nuclear Arms Control Era Comes to End Amid Global Rush for New Weapons

A report from Nytimes says the last nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia expired on Thursday, leaving both superpowers for the first time since 1972 with no limits on the size or structure of their arsenals. The expiration coincides with plans by Washington and Moscow for new generations of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, and with a growing Chinese arsenal as anxious American allies reassess their security.

Talks on a replacement or even an informal extension never got off the ground, frozen by the war in Ukraine; President Trump told The New York Times he would not accept a one-year informal extension, saying, “If it expires, it expires,” and arguing China and “other parties” should be part of any future accord.

The United States is preparing to deploy more warheads on its largest submarines while rivals test new types and configurations of nuclear weapons; Rafael Grossi of the IAEA said New START does not cover newer technologies such as hypersonic, undersea and space weapons.