The last US-Russia nuclear pact expires, prompting fears of a new arms race

The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States expires Thursday, removing caps on their atomic arsenals for the first time in over 50 years. There are fears that the end of the New START Treaty could lead to an unconstrained nuclear arms race. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed readiness to stick to the treaty’s limits for another year if the U.S. agreed, but U.S. President Donald Trump has been noncommittal. On Wednesday, Putin discussed the expiration with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Russia's Foreign Ministry stated that both countries are now free to choose their next steps. The treaty, signed in 2010, was extended in 2021 but inspections stopped in 2020.