“For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without binding limits on strategic nuclear arsenals.“Of the two countries, he said.
The New START treaty – formally known as the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms – was signed in 2010 and entered into force the following year.
It limited the strategic nuclear warheads deployed by each side to 1,550 and imposed limits on delivery systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles and heavy bombers.
The agreement also included verification measures, including data exchanges, notifications and on-site inspections, designed to reduce mistrust and avoid miscalculations.
Tools for stability
Guterres said decades of nuclear arms control agreements – from the Cold War-era Strategic Arms Limitation Talks to New START – played a crucial role in preventing catastrophes and reducing global nuclear stockpiles.
“Throughout the Cold War and after, nuclear arms control between these governments helped prevent catastrophe,” he said, adding that such frameworks “built stability” and “avoided devastating miscalculations.”
The Secretary-General warned that the collapse of this moderation system comes at a particularly dangerous time, as geopolitical tensions and the risk of nuclear weapons use is “the highest in decades.”
Reimagine gun control
But he added that the milestone also provides an opportunity to reimagine arms control in a changing security environment, and he welcomed statements by the presidents of the United States and Russia recognizing the dangers of a renewed nuclear arms race.
“The world now waits for the Russian Federation and the United States to translate words into deeds.“Guterres said, urging both sides to return to negotiations “without delay” and agree on a successor framework that restores verifiable boundaries, reduces risks and strengthens global security.