Pope Leo XIV addressed the United States and Russia with a call to immediately restore the New START (START-3) nuclear arms control treaty, which is set to expire this week.
Source: Censor.NET
As reported by Reuters, the pontiff emphasized that the current global security situation requires maximum efforts to prevent a new nuclear arms race. In this context, he urged Washington and Moscow to resume negotiations as soon as possible on extending or replacing the treaty.
“I make an urgent appeal not to allow this instrument to lose its force. Now more than ever, it is important to replace the logic of fear and distrust with a shared ethic capable of guiding decisions for the benefit of the common good,” the Pope said.
The New START treaty was signed between the United States and Russia in 2010 and limited the offensive nuclear capabilities of the two countries that possess the largest nuclear arsenals in the world. Its term expires on Thursday.
In September, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin proposed informally extending the agreement for another year. At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump did not publicly respond to this initiative.