US President Donald Trump stated on Thursday via social media that the expiring New Start treaty should not be extended, advocating instead for a new, modernized nuclear agreement involving China and Russia. The treaty expired this week, leaving the world without a legally binding nuclear weapons control pact for the first time in half a century. Experts fear this could end arms control efforts amid heightened global tensions.
Trump balks at New Start extension, calls for new US-China-Russia deal
This week, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) expired, marking the first time in half a century that the world lacks a legally binding agreement to control nuclear weapons. Originally set to expire in 2021, the pact was briefly extended until February 5, 2026.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump posted on social media: “Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernised Treaty that can last long into the future.” He criticized the treaty's negotiation and alleged violations.
Experts expressed concern. Analysts from institutions like the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace warn that Trump's stance could doom arms control efforts amid escalating global tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Gaza conflict, and geopolitical flashpoints in Iran and Venezuela. They note that, given Trump's other priorities and short attention span, prospects for a new deal appear dim.
New Start, the last major US-Russia treaty limiting deployed nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles, took effect in 2010. It aimed to cap both sides' strategic arsenals, but Russia suspended participation in 2022, and the US halted data sharing in response.
Trump's proposal marks the first explicit inclusion of China, signaling US efforts to draw Beijing into global nuclear arms control. Beijing has not yet responded, while Moscow has previously stated it would not extend the pact without involving other nuclear powers.
This unfolds against the backdrop of recent NATO summits and disputes over Greenland, underscoring nuclear proliferation risks in a multipolar world.
