Pope Leo warns of new arms race as U.S.-Russian nuke pact expires

Pope Leo XIV warned yesterday 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. The pope urged 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.