Fears Of New Arms Race As US-Russia Nuclear Weapons Treaty Expires

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WAHSINGTON, Feb 5 (KUNA) - The Treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, ends Thursday.
Although the two countries have previously succeeded in extending the treaty, this time they have not reached an understanding, raising fears of a new arms race.
According to the US Department of State, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as "New START", enhances U.S. national security by placing verifiable limits on all Russian deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a press conference that he did not have any announcement on New START, adding "I think the President will opine on it later. Obviously, the President's been clear in the past that in order to have true arms control in the 21st century, it's impossible to do something that doesn't include China because of their vast and rapidly growing stockpile".
The New START Treaty entered into force on February 5, 2011. The United States and the Russian Federation have agreed to extend the treaty through February 4, 2026. (end)
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