The scheduled expiry of the New START nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia on Thursday marks the end of a major era of bilateral disarmament agreements and reflects a changing nuclear landscape shaped by China’s rising influence and new military technologies.
What does New START cover?
Signed in 2010, the accord was a key component of the U.S. administration's policy to reset relations with the Kremlin.
New START limited the arsenals of the two nuclear powers to a maximum of 1,550 deployed strategic offensive warheads each, a reduction of nearly 30 percent compared with the previous ceiling set in 2002.
It capped the number of launchers and heavy bombers at 800.
