All articles tagged with #arms control
With the New START treaty expired, the Trump administration is weighing expanding the U.S. nuclear arsenal and potentially resuming underground tests, including increasing missile loadouts on Ohio-class submarines, a move that could spur a new arms race or pressure Russia and China toward a fresh treaty, though specifics remain unclear.
The United States accuses China of conducting at least one yield-producing nuclear test despite a moratorium, prompting renewed calls for a China-inclusive arms-control framework as New START expires, with CTBT monitoring details and questions about U.S. potential testing on the table.
In a power-driven landscape, Nordic strategists and U.S. allies such as Poland, Japan, and South Korea are weighing whether to develop their own nuclear weapons to ensure security, highlighting evolving risks and debates around nuclear proliferation and deterrence.
The United States and Russia are close to a draft plan to extend the New START nuclear pact beyond its expiration, with leaders expected to approve it; the extension would be a non-formal, six-month arrangement to observe treaty limits while negotiations on a longer-term agreement continue, preserving caps on strategic warheads and ongoing transparency. Talks occurred in Abu Dhabi alongside a resumption of military dialogue, but China’s exclusion from any future pact remains a key complicating factor.
The expiration of the New START treaty leaves the United States and Russia without formal caps on deployed nuclear warheads, missiles, and launchers for the first time in decades, triggering fears of a faster, less predictable buildup and potential three-way competition with China; experts clash over the value of extending the limits vs pursuing a broader trilateral deal, with concerns about miscalculation and risk to allies if no interim arrangement is put in place.
New START's expiry ends formal caps and inspections on US/Russia nuclear arsenals, lifting transparency and increasing the risk of nuclear confrontation without a follow-on treaty. Experts warn of long-term consequences amid geopolitical strains (Ukraine war, COVID-era pauses) and debates over China, while public support for negotiating a new deal remains high (about 91% in a poll).
With the expiry of the New START treaty, experts worry about a renewed US-Russia arms race as both powers modernize arsenals and long-standing arms-control structures fray; global leaders, including Pope Francis, have urged renewal, while talks about broader deals—potentially involving China and other nuclear powers—remain unsettled.
With the New START treaty expiring, the U.S. and Russia would no longer be bound by caps on deployed nuclear arsenals, raising fears of an unconstrained arms race that could pull China into a growing strategic competition. Putin has signaled willingness to extend limits for a year if Washington does the same, but Trump has not committed, prompting experts to warn of destabilization and increased global risk unless a successor agreement is reached.
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.
As the New START treaty nears its February 5 expiry, the US and Russia risk an unrestrained nuclear arms race unless they extend or replace limits; Putin has proposed a one-year extension, but Trump hasn’t committed, and China’s growing arsenal adds urgency while U.S. debate splits over how to respond and modernize forces.
The world just marked the longest period since 1945 without a nuclear test—eight years, four months, and 11 days—signaling a historic pause in nuclear explosions. But experts warn the milestone is fragile: with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin talking of resuming testing and START treaty limits expiring, momentum toward renewed tests could rise. Since 1945, about 2,055 tests have been conducted by eight nations, led by the United States, and while most testing halted in the 1990s, North Korea's 2017 test remains the latest. Some scientists note sub‑critical tests could continue without an explosion, complicating deterrence and accountability, while the CTBT remains unsigned by the U.S., leaving strategic risk unresolved.
China criticized the US for hypocrisy over nuclear disarmament, urging the US to reduce its nuclear arsenal while accusing it of hyping China's military build-up, as a Pentagon report indicated China is expanding its nuclear forces near Mongolia, with China asserting it follows a no-first-use policy and does not seek an arms race.
President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. might resume nuclear testing to match Russia and China's activities, prompting warnings from Russia and criticism from arms control advocates, amid ongoing global nuclear test bans and international concerns about escalation.
Experts review Netflix's 'A House of Dynamite', praising its authentic depiction of nuclear command systems and decision-making, while highlighting inaccuracies such as the portrayal of a surprise nuclear attack and missile defense capabilities, emphasizing the importance of global nuclear risk awareness and arms control.
Russia announced it will no longer abide by the INF Treaty, citing U.S. deployment of intermediate-range missiles in Europe and Asia, and accusing the U.S. of violating the treaty for over a decade. This move raises concerns of a renewed Cold War-style arms race amid tensions over Ukraine and NATO, with Russia deploying missiles to Belarus and the U.S. repositioning submarines in response.