New START Treaty Expires Without Replacement

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expired on Feb. 5, 2026, after both the United States and Russia failed to negotiate an extension or successor agreement. Russia had suspended on-site inspections in January 2023. Russian President Putin offered a one-year compliance extension in late 2025 after expiration; President Trump declined. The expiration ended more than 50 years of unbroken treaty coverage on U.S. and Russian deployed strategic warheads dating to SALT I in 1972. Neither country now has a legal obligation to limit deployed warhead numbers or permit reciprocal inspections. RAND analysts warned the loss of inspection rights removes transparency mechanisms that reduce the risk of miscalculation. China's arsenal remained outside any treaty framework.