Trump weighs post-New START path as arms-control pact expires

As the New START treaty nears expiration, the U.S. and Russia potentially face a renewed nuclear competition, with Moscow signaling renewal offers but Washington delaying a formal response. The lapse would leave the two largest arsenals without a current arms-control framework, while China and Russia expand capabilities. Pentagon planners are preparing for a post–New START world, and some lawmakers push for new limits or a replacement pact, though verification and inspections remain unresolved amid political hurdles and evolving European security conversations.