Breakdown of the Nuclear Arms Control Regime: An Indian Perspective

By : Manpreet Sethi,

Page No: 570-583

Abstract
The nuclear arms control regime, as the world knew it, is dead. With the expiry of the New START Treaty in February 2026, the age of bilateral arms control is over. It looks impossible that the arms control arrangements of the period between 1970-2010 can be negotiated again because of the completely changed circumstances. This article explores the nature of current nuclear realities and the state of geopolitical relations to understand the challenges they pose for future Nuclear Arms Control (NAC). Divided into five sections, the article maps the collapse of key arms control treaties, both as a cause and as a consequence of major power nuclear competition; it examines the challenges posed by contemporary geopolitical realities; proposes the thinking of arms control as a broad-based and flexible concept encompassing all arrangements that reduce nuclear risks in current times; reimagines the NAC with re-prioritised objectives; and lastly, recommends why and how India must develop its own view of the NAC in the interest of national security.

Author
Dr. Manpreet Sethi is Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies, and Senior Research Advisor at the Asia Pacific Leadership Network.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.32381/NS.2026.09.04.6