☢️🌍 New START Treaty Expires: Russia Vows Responsibility as Nuclear Uncertainty Grows
The New START nuclear arms control treaty between the United States 🇺🇸 and Russia 🇷🇺 has officially expired, ending more than 50 years of limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals ⏳💣. Experts warn this could open the door to a new global arms race ⚠️🌐.
🗣️ The Kremlin said Russia regrets the treaty’s expiration but promised to remain a “responsible nuclear power”, stressing its commitment to strategic stability and national interests 🛡️🇷🇺. The treaty had capped deployed nuclear warheads at 1,550 each, significantly reducing Cold War-era stockpiles 📉☢️.
🤝 Moscow revealed it had proposed a one-year voluntary extension to buy time for negotiations on a successor deal — a proposal it says President Trump never formally answered 📄❌.
🇨🇳 China also expressed regret, calling the treaty vital for global nuclear order, but reiterated it will not join disarmament talks, citing its much smaller arsenal (around 600 warheads) compared to roughly 4,000 each held by the US and Russia ⚖️💥.
📊 Despite this, China’s nuclear stockpile is growing rapidly, adding about 100 warheads per year since 2023, according to SIPRI 🚀📈.
🏛️ The White House said President Trump will decide the next steps on nuclear arms control on his own timeline, while NATO urged both Washington and Moscow to act with “responsibility and restraint” to protect global security 🌍🕊️.
🔎 With inspections halted since COVID-19 😷🚫 and no replacement treaty in place, the world now enters a new era of nuclear uncertainty — one many fear could destabilize international peace ⚠️🌎.
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