Both China and Russia expressed regret over the expiration of the last Russo-American nuclear weapons control treaty.
The Russian government says it remains a responsible nuclear power despite the expiry of the last nuclear disarmament treaty between Moscow and Washington, which experts say risks sparking a new global arms race.
The New START treaty expires on Thursday, ending more than half a century of restrictions on strategic nuclear weapons between the United States and Russia.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday: “Today is the end and (the treaty) has no effect.” Arms control experts had previously said they expected the deadline to expire at the end of Wednesday.
Russia had proposed that the two countries voluntarily extend the terms of the agreement for one year to give them time to discuss a successor treaty, but US President Donald Trump has not formally responded to the proposal.
Peskov said the issue had been raised in a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping the day before. “The agreement is coming to an end. We view this negatively and express our regrets.”
“What will happen next depends on the development of events. In any case, the Russian Federation will maintain a responsible and careful approach to issues of strategic stability in the field of nuclear weapons and, of course, as always, will follow its national interests first and foremost.”
First signed in Prague in 2010 by then-Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, New START limits the number of deployed nuclear weapons on both sides to 1,550, a nearly 30 percent decrease from the previous limit set in 2002.
Deployed weapons or warheads are in active service and ready for immediate use, as opposed to those in storage or awaiting dismantling.
Both countries were also allowed to conduct on-site inspections of each other’s nuclear weapons, but these were suspended during the coronavirus pandemic and have not resumed since.
“China will not participate in disarmament negotiations.”
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has joined the growing international chorus expressing regret over the treaty’s expiration.
“China deplores the expiration of the New START Treaty, as it is of vital importance to maintaining global strategic stability,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday.
“The international community is generally concerned that the expiration of this treaty will have a negative impact on the international nuclear arms control system and the global nuclear order.”
President Trump has said he wants a better deal that involves China. However, the Chinese government has refused to negotiate with the other two countries. That’s because China has only a fraction of the number of warheads (estimated at 600), compared to Russia and the United States, which each have about 4,000.
Lin reiterated this point, adding that China will not participate in bilateral disarmament negotiations.
“China’s nuclear forces are not at the same level as the United States or Russia, and at this stage China will not participate in disarmament negotiations,” Lin said.
Russia and the United States together control more than 80% of the world’s nuclear warheads.
However, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China’s nuclear arsenal has been adding about 100 new warheads a year since 2023, faster than any other country.
According to SIPRI, China is estimated to have at least 600 nuclear warheads, far below the 800 each Russia and the United States were capped under New START.
The White House said this week that President Trump will decide on the future direction of nuclear arms control and will “develop it on his own schedule.”
A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called on the United States and Russia to act with “responsibility and restraint” to maintain “world security.”
The official added that Russia and China are both increasing their nuclear capabilities and that NATO “will continue to take the necessary steps” to ensure their defense.
