United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the expiration of a nuclear arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States marked a grave moment for international peace and security.
In a statement, Guterres said that for the first time in more than half a century, we faced a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals between two countries that possess the overwhelming majority of the global stockpile of nuclear weapons.
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty also known as New Start Treaty expired on Thursday.
Guterres warned that the dissolution of the treaty could not come at a worse time arguing that the risk of a nuclear weapon being used was the highest in decades.
But he also said the moment presented an opportunity to reset and create an arms control regime fit for a rapidly evolving context.
He welcomed the Presidents of both countries making clear that they appreciated the destabilising impact of a nuclear arms race and the need to prevent the return to a world of unchecked nuclear proliferation.
The UN Chief said the world now looked to both countries to translate words into action, urging a return to the negotiating table without delay towards a successor framework.
The expiration of the New START Treaty marks a grave moment for international peace and security.
Read the full statement by @antonioguterres https://t.co/h10RElnR6b pic.twitter.com/vqG7VwbxL8
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) February 5, 2026
