House of Dynamite? Last US-Russia nuclear pact to expire, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The New START Treaty between Russia and the United States is set to expire on Thursday, removing caps on their nuclear arsenals.
• President Vladimir Putin has expressed readiness to extend the treaty for another year if the US reciprocates.
• President Donald Trump has been noncommittal but wants China involved in arms control talks.
• Experts warn that the treaty's expiration could lead to a new Russia-US arms race, global instability, and increased nuclear conflict risk.

Detailed Insights:

• The New START Treaty is the last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the US, limiting the number of strategic nuclear warheads each country can deploy.
• China has resisted joining arms control talks, citing its smaller nuclear arsenal compared to the US and Russia.
• Failure to extend the treaty could incentivize both sides to increase their deployed arsenals, potentially leading to an unconstrained three-way arms race.
• The absence of the treaty's predictability may lead to worst-case scenario planning and increased deployments to demonstrate resolve or gain negotiating leverage.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Nuclear Arms Race: A competition between nations to develop superior nuclear weapons.
• Arms Control Treaty: An agreement between countries to limit the production, testing, or deployment of weapons.
• Deterrence: A military strategy where one power uses the threat of retaliation to prevent an attack from another power.