New START

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 per country. It also restricts each nation to a maximum of 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. These strict caps were designed to maintain strategic stability between the two largest nuclear powers.

The treaty was originally set to expire in February 2021, exactly ten years after it entered into force in 2011. However, the United States and Russia agreed to extend the treaty for a period of five years, moving the expiration date to February 5, 2026. This remains the last remaining major nuclear arms control agreement between the two nations.

The treaty was signed by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on April 8, 2010, in Prague, Czech Republic. It was subsequently ratified by both the U.S. Senate and the Russian State Duma before officially going into effect in 2011. It replaced the previous Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty, also known as the Moscow Treaty.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the already strained relations regarding the treaty worsened significantly. In early 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia's suspension of its participation in the treaty, halting on-site inspections and data sharing. However, both nations have stated they will continue to respect the nuclear warhead caps until the treaty expires.