Antonio Guterres Flags Global Risk as US-Russia Nuclear Treaty Expires

(MENAFN) The head of the United Nations has cautioned that the end of the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia marks a deeply dangerous turning point for global stability, effectively removing legally binding constraints that have limited the two largest nuclear stockpiles for decades, according to statements.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued the warning on Wednesday as the New START Treaty formally expired on Feb. 5. “The expiration of the New START Treaty, as of midnight today, marks a grave moment for international peace and security,” he said in a statement addressing the treaty’s end.

Guterres stressed that the lapse creates an unprecedented situation in modern history. “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,” he said.

He underlined that decades of nuclear arms control between Washington and Moscow have played a crucial role in maintaining global balance, reducing the risk of disaster, and preventing catastrophic miscalculations.

Tracing the history of bilateral efforts from the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks to the New START framework, Guterres noted that these agreements resulted in the elimination of thousands of nuclear weapons and contributed significantly to international security.

Warning of the current dangers, he said, “This dissolution of decades of achievement could not come at a worse time,” adding that “the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest in decades.”

He further cautioned that the absence of transparent and verifiable restrictions on strategic arsenals is likely to heighten global insecurity at a time of escalating geopolitical tensions and rapid technological advancements.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Guterres said the moment also presents a chance to revive arms control diplomacy. “The world now looks to the Russian Federation and the United States to translate words into action,” he said, calling on both sides to swiftly resume negotiations and reach a new agreement that “restores verifiable limits, reduces risks, and strengthens our collective security.”

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