Global nuclear stability is entering one of its most dangerous phases in modern history. With the New START treaty officially expired, the last remaining arms control agreement limiting the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals, the global security framework is now without formal restrictions for the first time in over five decades. The crisis has deepened after the United States accused China of secretly conducting covert nuclear explosive tests. US officials allege that Beijing prepared explosive nuclear tests with yields reaching hundreds of tons, claiming these actions violate long-standing international commitments to suspend nuclear testing. WATCH 

The global security landscape has fundamentally shifted. At midnight, the New START Treaty—the final remaining pillar of arms control between the United States and Russia—officially expired. For the first time since 1969, the world’s two largest nuclear superpowers are no longer bound by any legally binding limits on their strategic warheads.