Trump Rejects Russia's Offer to Extend Nuclear Treaty, Paving Way for Global Arms Control Crisis

US President Donald Trump has indicated that the country will allow the New START treaty to expire, rejecting Russia's offer to voluntarily extend the caps on nuclear deployments. The 2010 treaty, set to expire on February 5, limits the US and Russia to 1,550 warheads on 700 delivery vehicles. Arms control advocates fear that this move will lead to a surge in strategic nuclear deployments, eroding the global arms control regime. According to Trump, the US will not accept Russia's offer to maintain the treaty's limits after its expiration. Instead, he wants to negotiate a new deal that includes China, which has the world's fastest-growing nuclear force. However, Beijing has consistently rejected this proposal, citing the significant disparity in nuclear arsenals between the US, Russia, and China. The New START treaty has been under strain since Russia halted participation in verification procedures in February 2023, citing US support for Ukraine. The US followed suit, suspending inspections and data exchanges. A Pentagon report last month revealed that China is likely to have loaded over 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles across its latest silo fields, with no desire for arms control talks. Thomas Countryman, a former top State Department arms control official, warned that there are advocates within the Trump administration who support deploying strategic warheads beyond the treaty's limits. The world's two largest nuclear powers will begin to deploy more warheads after February 5, leading to a global arms control crisis. A White House spokesperson referred to Trump's comments when asked about the US response to Russia's offer.