United States, Russia Let New START Expire

New START, the 15-year-old nuclear arms-control treaty between the United States and Russia, expires this Wednesday, removing binding limits of 1,550 deployed warheads and 700 delivery vehicles. Russia suspended verification in February 2023 while continuing numerical limits, and an earlier five-year extension was agreed by Presidents Biden and Putin in 2021. Its lapse raises concerns of rekindled arms competition, complicating global deterrence and verification efforts.