The United States has called for a new US nuclear deal Russia China framework after the expiration of the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Washington and Moscow.
Speaking at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, US officials said future arms control can no longer remain a bilateral issue.
The move comes amid rising concerns of a renewed global arms race and growing tensions over China’s expanding nuclear capabilities.
Washington Seeks New Arms Control Architecture
Thomas DiNanno, US under secretary of state for arms control, told delegates that New START had “fundamental flaws” and no longer reflected current global security realities.
He said repeated Russian violations, combined with the rapid expansion of nuclear arsenals worldwide, made it necessary to design a new framework addressing present-day threats.
The New START treaty, which expired on Thursday, had limited the United States and Russia to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads each. Its lapse marks the first time in decades that no treaty governs the world’s largest nuclear stockpiles.
China Central to US Proposal
US officials stressed that China must be part of any future agreement.
DiNanno said China’s nuclear forces currently face no limits, transparency measures, or verification mechanisms. He warned that Beijing was expanding its arsenal at an unprecedented pace and could possess more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the position in a public statement, arguing that strategic stability cannot be maintained without broader participation beyond Washington and Moscow.
Allegations of Secret Nuclear Tests
The United States also accused China of conducting covert nuclear explosive tests.
DiNanno claimed Beijing had carried out tests with specific explosive yields and alleged one such test occurred on June 22, 2020. He said the tests were deliberately concealed to avoid breaching international commitments.
US President Donald Trump has previously hinted at similar concerns and reiterated that Washington seeks a “new, improved and modernised treaty” following the end of New START.
China Rejects Claims and Talks
China strongly rejected the accusations.
Its ambassador to the United Nations disarmament body, Shen Jian, dismissed US remarks as irresponsible and denied that China posed a comparable nuclear threat. He said China’s nuclear capabilities remain far below those of the United States and Russia.
Shen reiterated that Beijing would not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage, arguing that states with the largest arsenals bear primary responsibility for reductions.
Russia Calls for Broader Participation
Russia signaled conditional openness to new talks but insisted other nuclear-armed states should be included.
Ambassador Gennady Gatilov said any future negotiations must involve France and the United Kingdom, citing their status as NATO allies with nuclear forces.
British officials responded by stating that the United Kingdom maintains a minimum credible deterrent and that talks should prioritize states with the largest arsenals. France said all nuclear-armed states should work toward reducing the risk of nuclear weapons use.
Conclusion:
With the expiration of New START, the absence of binding limits on nuclear arsenals has heightened international concern. While Washington is pushing for a broader US nuclear deal Russia China framework, sharp disagreements among major powers suggest that reaching a new agreement will remain a complex and uncertain process.
