Vatican, 04 February, 2026 / 1:25 pm (ACI Africa).
Pope Leo XIV warned Wednesday of the grave danger of a “new global arms race” as the New START nuclear weapons treaty between the United States and Russia reached its expiration, urging world leaders not to allow the agreement to lapse without a credible and effective alternative.
Speaking at the conclusion of his general audience at the Vatican, the pope recalled that the treaty — signed in 2010 by then-U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev — represented a significant step in limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
“Tomorrow the New START treaty reaches its expiration,” the pope said, noting that the agreement had helped contain strategic nuclear arsenals and strengthen international security. He called for “every constructive effort in favor of disarmament and mutual trust,” insisting that the current international climate demands urgent action to prevent escalation.
The pope stressed that the world must abandon “the logic of fear and distrust” and instead embrace “a shared ethic capable of guiding decisions toward the common good and making peace a heritage safeguarded by all.”
Without a replacement framework, he warned, the end of New START opens a period of growing uncertainty, raising alarms across the international community about the weakening of nuclear arms control mechanisms.
