What is New START Treaty?

Feb. 22, 2023

Recently, the Russian President announced that Moscow was suspending its participation in the New START treaty with the United States.

About New START Treaty:

  • It is known as The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).
  • It is the last remaining nuclear arms deal between Russia and the United States of America, and it was extended for five years in 2021.
  • Objective: The New START caps the number of nuclear warheads well below Cold War limits. 

What is the timeline of this treaty?

  • New START continues the bipartisan process of verifiably reducing U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals begun by former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
  • The treaty was signed by US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Prague in 2010.
  • New START replaced the 1991 START I treaty, which expired in December 2009, and superseded the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT), which terminated when New START entered into force.
  • Both Russia and the United States announced that they met New START limitations by Feb. 5, 2018.
  • Importance: New START is the first verifiable U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control treaty to take effect since START I in 1994.