Moscow issued a stark declaration on Tuesday, asserting that nuclear weapons represent the “only” guarantee against a global conflict. The statement arrives at a particularly precarious moment in international arms control: the last remaining nuclear arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States — New START — expired in February, lifting the constraints that had governed the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals for over a decade.
The expiration of the treaty means there are now no formal limits on the nuclear stockpiles of either nation, a situation that has alarmed arms control experts worldwide. Russia’s framing of nuclear weapons as an indispensable deterrent signals that Moscow sees little near-term prospect for renewed negotiations, even as geopolitical tensions remain elevated.
