US-Russia nuclear treaty called START expired. Should we be worried? | The Excerpt

For the first time in more than half a century, there is no

nuclear arms control between the world's two largest nuclear 

powers, the US and Russia. Are we about to enter a new

Cold War era?

Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for 

International Peace, joins The Excerpt to share his insights.

Play the player below to listen to the podcast and follow the 

transcript below it.

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Dana Taylor:

For the first time in more than half a century, there is no

nuclear arms control between the world's two largest

nuclear powers, the US and Russia.

As a growing China expands its nuclear arsenal and asserts

its power on the international stage, we ask, is this the

dawn of a new Cold War era?

Hello, and welcome to USA TODAY’s The Excerpt.

I’m Dana Taylor. Today is Tuesday, February 10, 2026.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, also known

as START, between the United States and Russia expired

last week, and with it the long-simmering fear of nuclear annihilation. Should we be worried?

Joining me now to examine the important geopolitical,

economic, and military concerns at the heart of this story

is Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment

for International Peace.

Ankit, thank you very much for joining me.