US-Russia nuclear pact expires and removes limits on arsenals.

The New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired, removing agreed limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads; Russian officials said the parties are no longer bound by the treaty and are free to decide how to proceed.

The New START treaty between the United States and Russia expired on Thursday, removing agreed limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems. Russian officials announced that, under current circumstances, the parties are no longer bound by the treaty's obligations and are free to decide how to proceed. President Vladimir Putin had offered last year to observe the treaty's limits for an additional year if Washington did the same, while U.S. President Donald Trump was noncommittal about extending the pact. Observers have reported that the treaty's end changes the verification framework that had been in place. Key points: - The treaty, signed in 2010, limited each side to no more than 1,550 warheads and 700 missiles and bombers. - On-site inspections intended to verify compliance ceased in 2020 and have not resumed. - Russia suspended participation in February 2023 while saying it would still respect numerical caps even as it restricted inspections. - Russian officials have stated parties are free to decide how to proceed; no successor agreement has been announced. Summary: The treaty's expiration removes formal limits on the two largest nuclear arsenals and alters the verification arrangements that had applied. Undetermined at this time.