UN chief calls for new US–Russia nuclear deal

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the United States and Russia to begin negotiations on a new agreement that would replace the New START treaty, warning of the growing risks tied to nuclear arsenals.

The call was made on Tuesday, during a meeting of the UN General Assembly within the framework of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Guterres stressed that the US and Russia must negotiate a successor framework to New START, following the treaty’s expiry in February 2026.

According to Guterres, the expiry of the agreement has created a new situation in which binding limits on the two powers’ strategic nuclear arsenals are missing. He also warned that the modernization of nuclear weapons and new technological developments could increase the risk of errors and miscalculations.

New START was signed by the US and Russia in 2010 and entered into force in 2011. It set limits on both countries’ strategic arsenals and included verification mechanisms. After its expiry, the UN has reiterated the need for a new nuclear arms control framework.

Guterres has warned that the expansion and modernization of arsenals, together with the weakening of arms control mechanisms, make it more important to return to dialogue and negotiations to reduce nuclear risk.