Overview
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that nuclear weapons are the only thing preventing a global war and warned that new non‑nuclear weapons could one day match the destructive power of nukes.
- The New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired in February 2026, removing formal, binding limits on deployed strategic warheads for the first time in decades.
- Both capitals have agreed in principle to resume high‑level military talks but so far show no concrete progress toward renewing or replacing the accord.
- The United States is pressing to include China in any new deal, China has rejected that idea, and Russia says any multilateral arrangement that covers China should also include Britain and France.
- Analysts say the lapse, Moscow’s public reliance on deterrence and warnings about advanced non‑nuclear weapons raise the risk of a multi‑country arms race and could increase tensions and military build‑ups in Europe and beyond.