https://www.newsweek.com/russia-news-weapons-surpass-nuclear-arms-treaty-us-congress-warned-2018048
By: Ryan Chan, China News Reporter for Newsweek
The number of Russian deployed nuclear warheads “may have exceeded” an arms control treaty’s limit, the United States government warned in a report to Congress last week. Newsweek has emailed both the Russian defense and foreign ministries for comment.
Why It Matters — In 2010, the U.S. and Russia signed the New START nuclear arms reduction agreement. The bilateral arms control treaty came into force the following year and is scheduled to expire in February 2026. The treaty, which President Vladimir Putin suspended Russia’s participation in two years ago, obligates Washington and Moscow to limit deployed warheads to no more than 1,550.
What To Know — In a report issued last Friday, the U.S. State Department assessed with “high confidence” that while Russia failed to fulfill its obligations with respect to the treaty’s verification regime, it did not participate in any large-scale activity above the treaty limit last year. “However, Russia was probably close to the deployed warhead limit during much of the year and may have exceeded the deployed warhead limit by a small number during portions of 2024,” the report warned, which constituted a “serious compliance concern.
