Letter to the Foreign Minister regarding the renewal of the New START treaty

Message

Subject: Request for Italy's commitment to the renewal of the New START Treaty

You can send it by regular email to: gabinetto@esteri.it

To the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani

Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,

I am writing to you, on behalf of the Government, to request the renewal of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which is scheduled to expire on 5 February 2026.

New START currently represents the last existing agreement limiting the size of the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia. Leaving it to lapse would constitute a serious setback in international arms control and would make an already extremely fragile global situation even more unstable. The treaty guarantees at least a minimum framework of containment and predictability between the two major nuclear powers, an essential element for international security as a whole.

The agreement establishes clear limits on deployed nuclear warheads and delivery systems—missiles and bombers—and provides inspection and data-sharing mechanisms that help reduce mutual distrust and the risk of miscalculation. Since its entry into force, New START has produced concrete results, leading to the dismantling of thousands of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems by the United States and Russia.

Our nation has repeatedly expressed support for arms control instruments and multilateralism in international security. At a time when the risk of nuclear use is seen by many analysts as the highest since the end of the Cold War, our country should strengthen its commitment to measures that reduce tensions and the dangers of escalation.

As a State Party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), our nation has a responsibility to actively contribute to efforts towards nuclear disarmament and global risk reduction. Decisively supporting the renewal of New START would be a concrete and credible signal of consistency with these commitments.

I therefore urge you to use your government's diplomatic clout, including at European and multilateral levels, to encourage the renewal of the New START Treaty and to work with international partners to avoid the complete collapse of the nuclear arms control architecture.

I look forward to hearing from you to clarify how our nation intends to honor its obligations under the NPT and contribute, at this delicate stage, to reducing nuclear risks globally.

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