Finance
UN chief calls New START expiration 'grave moment'
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on February 5, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 5, 2026
Quick Summary
UN Chief warns of grave consequences as New START Treaty expires, urging Russia and US to negotiate a new nuclear arms control framework.
UN Chief Warns of Serious Consequences Following New START Treaty Expiration
Implications of New START Treaty Expiration
Feb 4 (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called the expiration of the New START Treaty a grave moment for international peace and security and urged Russia and the United States to negotiate a new nuclear arms control framework without delay.
Risks of Nuclear Weapon Usage
New START, which was due to run out at midnight on Wednesday, capped the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia can deploy, and the deployment of land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.
Opportunities for New Arms Control
"For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of the Russian Federation and the United States of America – the two States that possess the overwhelming majority of the global stockpile of nuclear weapons," Guterres said in a statement.
Call for Negotiations
He said the dissolution of decades of achievement in arms control "could not come at a worse time – the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest in decades."
At the same time, Guterres said there was now an opportunity "to reset and create an arms control regime fit for a rapidly evolving context" and welcomed the appreciation by the leaders of both Russia and the United States of the need to prevent a return to a world of unchecked nuclear proliferation.
"The world now looks to the Russian Federation and the United States to translate words into action," Guterres said.
"I urge both states to return to the negotiating table without delay and to agree upon a successor framework that restores verifiable limits, reduces risks, and strengthens our common security."
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
Key Takeaways
- •UN Chief calls New START expiration a grave moment.
- •Guterres urges Russia and US to negotiate new arms control.
- •Expiration leaves no binding limits on nuclear arsenals.
- •Risk of nuclear weapon use is highest in decades.
- •Opportunity to reset and create a new arms control regime.
Frequently Asked Questions about UN chief calls New START expiration 'grave moment'
1What are nuclear weapons?
Nuclear weapons are explosive devices that derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or fusion, and are capable of causing massive destruction.
2What is arms control?
Arms control refers to international agreements that aim to regulate and limit the development, stockpiling, proliferation, and use of weapons, particularly nuclear arms.
3What is global security?
Global security refers to the measures taken by nations and international organizations to ensure peace and stability across the world, often in the context of preventing conflict.
