This appeal was made on the eve of the expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires on February 5.
The UN characterized this moment as "gloomy for peace and security."
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, noted that "the gap in decades of achievements has occurred at an extremely inopportune time — the risk of nuclear weapon use has now reached its peak in recent decades."
Nevertheless, the organization emphasizes that even in conditions of uncertainty, there is an opportunity to rethink strategies and develop an updated arms control system.
Additionally, the UN Secretary-General's representative pointed to the awareness among the leaders of Russia and the USA of the destabilizing consequences of the nuclear arms race and the importance of preventing a new round of uncontrolled nuclear weapons proliferation. Now, as highlighted in the statement, the international community expects concrete actions from these two countries.
The New START treaty, signed in 2010 for ten years, has been extended until February 5, 2026. It limited the number of deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550 and provided for a system of mutual inspections and notifications. However, after the expiration of this agreement, the specified mechanisms will cease to be in effect.
