A New Nuclear Arms Race Could "Spiral" as Last U.S.-Russia Treaty Expires: Dr. Ira Helfand
February 4, 2026
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9:33Now PlayingA New Nuclear Arms Race Could "Spiral" as Last U.S.-Russia Treaty Expires: Dr. Ira Helfand
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As the last major nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia expires this week, we speak with arms control expert Dr. Ira Helfand, a steering committee member of Back from the Brink, a national coalition organizing communities across the United States to call for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Helfand is a longtime member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN, which received the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. He is also the immediate past president of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, awarded the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize, and a co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility.
"We are in a very, very dangerous moment," says Helfand, who urges major powers to reduce their nuclear arsenals rather than potentially starting a new arms race. "Strength and safety are not the same thing. … If you allow these weapons to continue to exist, it is not a question of if we have a nuclear war — it's just a question of when."
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