Renewed Arms Race Looms as New START Treaty Expires

Experts warn of growing nuclear threat as bilateral arms control agreement between US and Russia ends

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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With the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on February 5th, the only remaining bilateral arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, experts warn that a renewed global arms race could plunge the world into a nuclear abyss. The article traces the history of the nuclear threat since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, highlighting how the scientific community's early calls for nuclear disarmament were ultimately ignored as the US and Soviet Union engaged in decades of escalation.

Why it matters

The end of New START removes key constraints on the world's two largest nuclear arsenals, raising the specter of unchecked nuclear proliferation and the increased risk of a catastrophic nuclear conflict that could render the planet uninhabitable. This crisis highlights the urgent need for renewed global cooperation and arms control efforts to prevent the unthinkable.

The details

The New START treaty, signed in 2010, limited the number of strategic nuclear warheads deployed by the US and Russia to 1,550 each. With its expiration, there are now no bilateral arms control agreements left between the two nuclear superpowers. Experts warn that this could lead to a dangerous new arms race, as both countries move to expand and modernize their nuclear forces without the constraints of the treaty.

  • The New START treaty expired on February 5, 2026.
  • The first atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

The players

New START Treaty

A bilateral arms control agreement between the United States and Russia that limited the number of strategic nuclear warheads deployed by each country.

United States

One of the world's two nuclear superpowers, along with Russia.

Russia

One of the world's two nuclear superpowers, along with the United States.

Manhattan Project Scientists

Scientists who worked on the development of the atomic bomb during World War II and later warned of the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons.

Niels Bohr

A prominent physicist who called on his colleagues to take responsibility for the implications of their work on the atomic bomb and assist in efforts to prevent nuclear catastrophe.

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What they’re saying

“If atomic bombs are to be added as new weapons to the arsenals of a warring world... then the time will come when mankind will curse the names of Los Alamos and Hiroshima.”

— J. Robert Oppenheimer, Director of the Los Alamos Laboratory

“The guilt consciousness of the atomic bomb scientists is one of the most astounding things I have ever seen.”

— Henry Wallace, Former Vice President

What’s next

Experts warn that without the New START treaty, the US and Russia will likely accelerate efforts to modernize and expand their nuclear arsenals, heightening the risk of a catastrophic nuclear conflict. Calls are growing for renewed global cooperation and diplomatic efforts to establish new arms control agreements and prevent the unthinkable.

The takeaway

The expiration of the New START treaty marks a dangerous turning point, as the world's two largest nuclear powers enter a new era of unchecked nuclear proliferation. This crisis underscores the urgent need to heed the warnings of the past and pursue bold, global solutions to eliminate the existential threat of nuclear weapons before it is too late.