Countdown 2 Days! The US-Russia Nuclear Arms Control Treaty is about to expire, ushering in the first unregulated era in 50 years
On February 5, the New START Treaty between the US and Russia will officially expire. If both sides fail to reach an agreement, the two countries will for the first time in 50 years be unbound by constraints on long-range strategic nuclear arsenals. The treaty was signed in 2010, limiting each side's deployed strategic warheads to a maximum of 1,550. Trump stated that he would allow the treaty to expire, and did not respond to Russia's proposal to extend negotiations by one year. Russia's deputy foreign minister said they were prepared for the new reality. Both Obama and Medvedev warned that the treaty's expiration could trigger an arms race.
The expiration of the New START Treaty marks the complete collapse of the nuclear arms control system after the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. From the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty to the current remaining pillar of nuclear disarmament, the nuclear forces of the US and Russia, which account for over 90% of the world's nuclear arsenal, will fall into a "rule-free era." The cancellation of the 1,550-warhead limit not only erodes decades of diplomatic achievements but also exacerbates the crisis of mutual trust due to the shutdown of verification mechanisms. In the context of the ongoing Ukraine conflict and escalating geopolitical rivalry, the risk of a nuclear arms race is not alarmist. This is not just a bilateral issue, but a warning of disorder in the global security architecture, testing the responsibility and wisdom of major powers toward humanity's shared destiny!
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856104253774848/
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