Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

After New START Lapses, U.S. Presses China as Putin Prioritizes Nuclear Triad

Washington seeks a successor framework that includes Beijing following allegations of a rapid and opaque buildup.

Image
The JL-1 first generation nuclear submarine-launched ballistic missile is seen during a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025. (Photo by Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images)
FILE - Christopher Yeaw, center, arrives to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be an assistant Secretary of State, Nov. 19, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Overview

  • New START expired on Feb. 5, removing the last binding caps, inspections and data exchanges on U.S. and Russian strategic forces.
  • At the Geneva disarmament forum, U.S. official Christopher Yeaw said China has "massively expanded" its arsenal and repeated accusations of secret nuclear tests while urging Beijing’s inclusion in future talks.
  • Vladimir Putin said developing Russia’s nuclear triad is an "absolute priority," highlighting plans to reinforce the armed forces.
  • Moscow had proposed voluntarily observing New START limits through February 2027, a proposal that received no formal U.S. acceptance.
  • Analysts warn the loss of transparency and limits raises the risk of a three‑power arms competition even as modernization delays and costs could moderate the pace.