Pope urges US, Russia to renew nuclear arms treaty

Pope Leo has called on the United States and Russia to renew their last remaining nuclear arms control agreement, warning that the world must avoid entering a new arms race.

Speaking during his weekly general audience at the Vatican, the pontiff urged leaders from both countries to extend the New START treaty, which limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons each side can deploy, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The treaty, originally signed in 2010, is set to expire this week. If it lapses, it would mark the end of decades of nuclear arms control agreements between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.

Pope Leo said the current global security environment makes nuclear restraint more important than ever. He stressed the need to move away from policies based on fear and mistrust and instead focus on cooperation and shared responsibility for global stability.

The pope also issued what he described as an urgent appeal to prevent the treaty from expiring without replacement or extension, warning that doing so could increase global security risks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously suggested that the agreement could be informally extended for another year. As of the pope’s remarks, there had been no public response from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the proposal.

The New START treaty is considered a cornerstone of modern nuclear arms control. Its expiration would leave the United States and Russia without any active treaty limiting their strategic nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years.

Security experts have warned that the loss of formal limits on nuclear weapons could increase geopolitical tensions and complicate future disarmament efforts, particularly amid ongoing global conflicts and rising military competition.

The pope’s appeal reflects growing international concern about nuclear stability and the future of arms control agreements in an increasingly uncertain global security landscape.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada