Written question asked by Baroness Rawlings (Conservative) on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 February 2026. It was answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour) on Monday, 2 March 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

New START Treaty

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the expiration of the New START treaty; and what implications of this they anticipate for nuclear arms control and disarmament.

Answer: The New START Treaty was a bilateral agreement between the United States and Russian Federation; any replacement treaty is a matter for the US and Russia. Genuine and verifiable strategic arms control among the largest Nuclear Weapons States can be a positive step for global security. However, following Russia's decision to suspend participation in New START verification measures in 2023, future approaches need to be based on concrete, and verifiable actions. The UK regularly raises issues related to strategic risk reduction through the P5 process.

Secondary information