Russia warns US 'winter is coming' after New START treaty expires

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which limited the nuclear arms race between the United States (U.S.) and Russia, expired on Wednesday, February 5, 2026.

Taking to X, the Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev shared a snapshot from the renowned Netflix series Game of Thrones with the words “Winter is coming” written on it.

He captioned his post, “That’s it. For the first time since 1972, Russia (the former USSR) and the US have no treaty limiting strategic nuclear forces. SALT 1, SALT 2, START I, START II, SORT, New START - all in the past.”

The treaty capped deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 for each country and experts warn that treaty’s expiration marks the end of 50 years of efforts of trying to contain the potential arms race between two of the world’s greatest powers.

Russia had earlier criticised the U.S. for not responding to President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to keep the nuclear arsenal and warheads in check for another 12 months.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, “Essentially, our ideas are being deliberately ignored. This (U.S.) approach appears mistaken and regrettable.”

The treaty’s non-renewal, along with the absence of new arms control negotiations, mean that both Russia and the U.S. are now free to increase their missile stockpiles and deploy strategic warheads, which will in turn result in increased geopolitical instability.