Washington: The Treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, commonly known as the New START, officially ends Thursday, raising concerns about a potential new arms race between the two nations.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, has been pivotal in enhancing U.S. national security by imposing verifiable limits on all Russian deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons. The inability of the United States and Russia to reach a new agreement this time has heightened fears of escalating tensions.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a press conference, mentioned that there was no new announcement regarding the New START. He stated, "I think the President will opine on it later. Obviously, the President's been clear in the past that in order to have true arms control in the 21st century, it's impossible to do something that doesn't include China because of their vast and rapidly growing stockpile."
The New START Treaty initially came into force on February 5, 2011. Both the United States and the Russian Federation had previously agreed to extend the treaty until February 4, 2026, but with its expiration, the future of nuclear arms control remains uncertain.