US EditionPope Leo urges Russia and US to renew last nuclear arms treaty
Pope Leo XIV warned that the treaty's lapse could trigger a new arms race and stressed nuclear restraint amid rising global security risks, experts say.
- Pope Leo XIV appealed during his weekly general audience at the Vatican, urging the United States and Russia to extend the New START treaty and not let it lapse without concrete follow-up.
- The treaty is due to expire on Thursday; originally agreed in 2010 and extended in 2021, New START would end decades of nuclear arms control between the United States and Russia.
- The treaty specified technical limits and inspections, defining strategic nuclear weapons and requiring short‑notice on‑site inspections plus biannual data exchange; security experts warned losing limits could increase tensions.
- As of Wednesday, the U.S. had not publicly responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion of an informal extension, while the pope urged moving beyond fear and mistrust toward cooperation.
- The appeal reflects growing international concern about nuclear stability as the pope linked it to prayer for Ukraine and described New START as key to disarmament and mutual trust.
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Within hours of the expiry of the US-Russia agreement limiting the deployment of nuclear weapons, the Pope warned of a "new arms race"
Pope Leo urges Russia and US to renew last nuclear arms treaty
Pope Leo on Wednesday urged leaders in Russia and the United States to renew their last nuclear arms control treaty, New START, which caps the number of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by each country.
Experts debate whether U.S. should extend its nuclear arms treaty with Russia
As the New START nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia expires, there is debate over whether the U.S. should extend the agreement or walk away. For two perspectives on that debate, Nick Schifrin speaks with Rose Gottemoeller, who was chief U.S. negotiator for the treaty during the Obama administration, and nuclear weapons and national security expert Frank Miller.
Archbishop Coakley Urges US, Russia to Renew Nuclear Arms Control Pact
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley preaches during a Mass in the Oklahoma City cathedral in 2021. U.S. bishops’ conference president Archbishop Paul Coakley called for keeping limitations of the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which is set to expire on Feb. 5.
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