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UN Chief Warns New START Expiry Marks Grave Nuclear Arms Control Crisis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has declared the expiration of the New START treaty a grave moment for international peace and security, marking the first time in over 50 years without binding limits on US and Russian nuclear arsenals. He warned the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is currently the highest it has been in decades. Guterres urged the two nations to return to negotiations without delay to establish a new verifiable arms control framework. The treaty's end follows the collapse of other key pacts, leaving a critical gap in global nuclear stability.

Key Points: UN Chief: New START End a Grave Moment for Global Security

  • New START treaty expires
  • No binding US-Russia nuclear limits
  • Risk of nuclear use highest in decades
  • Guterres urges new negotiations
2 min read

UN chief sees end of New START as 'grave moment' for international peace, security

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns the expiration of the US-Russia New START treaty removes binding nuclear limits, raising global risk.

"For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals - Antonio Guterres"

United Nations, Feb 5

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the expiration of New START, the US-Russia nuclear arms reduction treaty, marks a grave moment for international peace and security.

"For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the Russian Federation and the United States of America, the two states that possess the overwhelming majority of the global stockpile of nuclear weapons," Guterres said in a statement on Wednesday (local time)

New START, which limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads and strategic delivery systems of Russia and the United States, expires on Thursday.

Throughout the Cold War and its aftermath, nuclear arms control between the two countries helped prevent catastrophe.

It built stability and, when combined with other measures, prevented devastating miscalculations. Most importantly, it facilitated the reduction of thousands of nuclear weapons from national arsenals.

Strategic arms control drastically improved the security of all people, not least the populations of the United States and Russia, said Guterres.

This expiration of New START could not come at a worse time, as the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest in decades, he said.

"Yet at this moment of uncertainty, we must search for hope. This is an opportunity to reset and create an arms control regime fit for a rapidly evolving context," said Guterres. "I welcome that the presidents of both states have made clear that they appreciate the destabilising impact of a nuclear arms race and the need to prevent the return to a world of unchecked nuclear proliferation. The world now looks to the Russian Federation and the United States to translate words into action."

Guterres urged the two states to return to the negotiating table without delay and agree on a successor framework that restores verifiable limits, reduces risks and strengthens common global security.

New START, which entered into force in 2011, was the last arms control pact between Russia and the United States after Washington withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While the US-Russia tensions are concerning, I wish the UN would show the same urgency for other global threats that affect developing nations more directly. Food security, debt crises, and climate adaptation need this level of attention too. The focus is always on the big powers.
R
Rohit P
A world without nuclear checks is a recipe for disaster. We saw the stability these treaties brought. Hope the leadership in Washington and Moscow listens to reason. India's policy of 'No First Use' looks more responsible than ever in this context.
M
Michael C
Living in Delhi, the thought of any nuclear escalation is chilling. We're not directly party to this treaty, but we'll feel the geopolitical tremors. It's high time for multilateral forums like the G20, which India just chaired, to push for renewed dialogue.
S
Shreya B
The timing couldn't be worse with the Ukraine war ongoing. Trust is at an all-time low. But Guterres is correct - this is an opportunity for a reset. Maybe a new framework can include other nuclear powers for a more comprehensive approach. The old bipolar world order is gone.
K
Karthik V
Respectfully, I think the UN chief's warning, while important, comes a bit late. The writing was on the wall for years. The international community should have been preparing contingency plans and putting immense pressure on both nations to renew. Now we're reacting to a crisis.

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