Chatham House Warns of New Nuclear Arms Race as All Major Treaties Have Expired

Chatham House published a May 2026 research paper warning that the expiration of New START in February 2026 means for the first time in over 50 years there are no agreed limits on US-Russia strategic nuclear weapons development or deployment. China arsenal estimated to have doubled between 2020 and 2025. Separately, Chatham House noted on May 14 that Xi and Trump will not discuss China growing nuclear arsenal at their Beijing summit despite it being a critical gap in strategic stability frameworks.