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No Limits on US – Russia Nuclear Arms if Trump Does Not Renew Expiring Reduction Treaty

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The world will be left with no restrictions on US and Russian nuclear weapons unless President Donald Trump extends the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) before it expires on February 5 next year, Defense News reports. Signed by the two countries in 2010, the nuclear arms reduction treaty limits the number of long-range nuclear warheads and launchers America and Russia can have.

Under New START, the US and Russia agreed to limit the number of their deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550, although the limit may be exceeded by a few hundred in certain cases. This is a reduction of almost two-thirds since the original START treaty of 1994. In addition to limits on ballistic missiles and heavy bombers as well, the treaty provides for satellite and remote monitoring and for 18 annual on-site inspections to confirm compliance.

Russia is willing to extend New START for up to five years, Defense News reports. Trump, however, has yet to agree to an extension. The president has said he wants a US-Russia nuclear reduction treaty to include China as well. According to the Federation of American Scientists, the US and Russia each have 1,600 deployed nuclear warheads while China has around 320. However, the Defense Intelligence Agency has forecast the Chinese will probably at least double the size of their stockpile in the next decade.

Speaking to Defense News about the logistics of agreeing to a new treaty, Alexandra Bell of the Center for Arms Control and Non-proliferation observed: “It’s really hard to see how, in the midst of a pandemic that would make actual in-person negotiations quite difficult, you’re going to get something done and ratified and in force before the New START treaty expires on Feb. 5, 2021.”

Meanwhile, Defense news reports, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in January that China has “no intention to participate” in a nuclear arms reduction accord with the US and Russia.