Kathrine Frich
With just days remaining before a landmark arms control agreement lapses, warnings are mounting about what could follow.
Former US President Barack Obama has stepped into the debate, urging action as uncertainty surrounds Washington and Moscow’s next moves.
The treaty’s expiration would mark a major shift in global nuclear security.
Treaty deadline
On February 5, the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, is due to expire.
The deal was signed in 2010 by then-presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev.
According to Reuters, the end of the treaty would leave both countries without binding limits on nuclear missiles and warheads for the first time since the Cold War, raising the prospect of an unrestricted arms race.
Despite growing concern, there are no clear signs that the agreement will be extended or replaced before the deadline.
Moscow signals
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously suggested that both sides could temporarily adhere to existing limits to allow more time for negotiations. However, no formal arrangement has been announced.
US President Donald Trump has not publicly responded to Putin’s proposal.
In a January interview, Trump said that if the New START treaty expires, “it expires,” adding: “We’ll make a better deal.”
Rising rhetoric
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev also weighed in on Monday, warning of heightened risks.
“I don’t want to say this immediately spells disaster and the outbreak of nuclear war, but it should still alarm everyone,” he said.
Medvedev claimed that “the doomsday clock is ticking, and it’s obvious it must accelerate,” reflecting increasingly sharp rhetoric from Moscow as the deadline approaches.
Obama’s warning
Barack Obama issued his own warning in a message posted on social media.
“If Congress fails to act, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia will expire,” he wrote.
“This would senselessly undo decades of diplomacy and could trigger another arms race that will make the world less safe,” the former president added.
Sources: Reuters, X, WP.
