Saving the Nuclear Arms Control Regime

According to Alexei Arbatov, Director of the IMEMO Center for Security Studies, the New START Treaty appears unlikely to be renewed in 2026, and that same year the Conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) could face another failure. Meanwhile, the international system is evolving toward uncertain multipolarity—or even regional fragmentation—with an increased risk of nuclearization of conflicts. Urgent measures must be taken to stabilize the current situation and prevent nuclear chaos.

Given the deteriorated international context, the only realistic short-term solution would be for Washington and Moscow to declare—jointly or unilaterally—their intention to continue respecting the limits set by the New START Treaty. The author believes that such political declarations, although not legally binding, could help save the NPT and even open the way to regulating other emerging military technologies, such as hypersonic weapons or systems based on artificial intelligence.

Expert: Alexei Arbatov, Director of the IMEMO Center for Security Studies.
Source: “Âdernyj bumerang,” Rossijskij Sovet po Meždunarodnym Delam, October 1, 2025.

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