U.S. president Donald Trump on Thursday, February 5th called for a new nuclear arms treaty following the expiration of the previous agreement with Russia, raising concerns over a potential new global arms race.
The 2010 New START treaty, originally signed by former president Barack Obama and later extended by Joe Biden, imposed limits on the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia.
Hours after it expired, Trump said the agreement was “badly negotiated” and “is being grossly violated.” He called on U.S. nuclear experts to develop a modernized treaty “that can last long into the future.”
The Trump administration has consistently pushed for China’s inclusion in any future nuclear deal, citing the country’s rapidly growing arsenal. Beijing, however, has publicly rejected participation.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that, to her knowledge, Washington and Moscow had not agreed to maintain New START restrictions while negotiating a new pact. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have deteriorated under the Biden administration, with Moscow refusing inspections and declaring it no longer considers itself bound by the treaty’s limits on warheads.
Despite these challenges, Trump has pursued renewed diplomacy with Russia, announcing the resumption of military dialogue with Moscow after trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
