The end of US-Russia nuclear treaty is a dangerous signal for deterrance

T

he last remaining nuclear arms control treaty in force between the United States and Russia expires on Thursday, February 5, marking a troubling development for the world. This treaty, New START, was concluded in 2010 by presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev. It followed in the footsteps of the SALT agreements on nuclear weapons by setting limits on the number of deployed warheads and the number of deployed and non-deployed strategic launchers for both countries.

Vladimir Putin bears responsibility for an unprecedented situation: the non-renewal of the treaty for the first time since the late 1960s. One year after the start of the invasion of Ukraine, in 2023, the Russian leader justified the end of New START by citing what he called the "extreme hostility" of Washington under Democratic President Joe Biden. The return of Donald Trump to the White House did not change his position, despite the deference Trump has shown toward a leader who is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

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Putin suspends New START, the last Russian-American nuclear disarmament treaty