US-Russia nuclear arms control treaty ends today

The last nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia expires today, ending limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in 50 years.

The New START Treaty, first signed in 2010, capped the number of warheads and missiles each side could deploy and allowed inspections to build trust.

Russia says it will continue to abide by the limits for another year if Washington agrees. The White House has not committed and wants wider talks that also include China. Beijing has rejected joining, saying its arsenal is much smaller.

Experts warn that without rules or inspections, both countries could quickly build more weapons. They say this could raise tensions, weaken trust, and spark a risky global arms race.