New START Treaty Expiry Alarm: Medvedev Warns World of Unchecked Nuclear Powers

The New START treaty expiry has sparked global concern after Russia’s former president Dmitry Medvedev warned that the end of the agreement could leave the world’s largest nuclear powers without limits for the first time in decades.

Russia Warns of Global Risk as New START Treaty Nears Expiry

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has warned that the expiration of the New START treaty without a replacement should alarm the international community. Speaking in an interview with Reuters, TASS, and Russian war blogger WarGonzo, Medvedev said the absence of nuclear limits could mark the most dangerous moment since the early 1970s.

The New START treaty, signed in 2010 by then U.S. President Barack Obama and Medvedev during his presidency, caps deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 per side. The agreement is set to expire on February 5, with no confirmed replacement in place.

Medvedev: Nuclear Limits Prevent Catastrophe

Medvedev stressed that while the treaty’s expiration does not automatically mean nuclear war, it significantly increases global risk.

“I don’t want to say this immediately means a catastrophe, but it should still alarm everyone,” Medvedev said, adding that the symbolic doomsday clock is “ticking faster.”

He emphasized that arms control agreements are not only about numbers but also about trust, transparency, and verification between nuclear powers.

U.S. Signals Willingness to Let Treaty Lapse

In January, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he would allow the treaty to expire, saying a better agreement could follow. Russian officials, however, say Washington has not formally responded to President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to maintain current missile and warhead limits for an additional year.

Medvedev noted that for nearly his entire life, relations between Washington and Moscow included either an arms control treaty or ongoing negotiations.

“When there is an agreement, it means there is trust. When there is none, trust has been exhausted,” he said.

Russia Suspended Participation in 2023

Russia suspended its participation in the treaty in 2023, citing U.S. military and political support for Ukraine in the ongoing war. Despite the suspension, Moscow previously signaled openness to maintaining limits temporarily to avoid a complete collapse of nuclear arms control.

Foreign diplomats say Medvedev’s remarks reflect the thinking of hardliners within Russia’s political elite.

Why the New START Treaty Expiry Matters

The New START treaty expiry could leave the United States and Russia without any binding limits on strategic nuclear weapons, raising fears of a renewed arms race. Experts warn that the absence of verification mechanisms could increase mistrust and miscalculation at a time of heightened geopolitical tension.