Nuclear Weapons: The Era of Uncertainty

New START, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, expired on February 5, 2026, leaving the world without binding limits on strategic nuclear arsenals for the first time since 1972. With China's arsenal growing by 100 warheads per year, the 2025 India-Pakistan military crisis exposing the fragility of nuclear deterrence, and the Doomsday Clock at a record 85 seconds to midnight, the collapse of arms control signals a dangerous new era of strategic instability.