Economist Podcasts Nukes of hazard: US-Russia arms treaty expires
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Feb 5, 2026 
Anton LaGuardia, diplomatic editor explaining the end of the New START nuclear treaty and implications for global arms dynamics. Carla Suborana, news editor unpacking how games, Discord and social media fuel modern cult recruitment. Sam Westron, producer exploring why more young men seek hair transplants and how online life heightens balding anxiety. Multiple short, punchy conversations on nuclear risk, online radicalisation and self-image.
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Different Logics Drive Nuclear Postures
- Nuclear strategy differs: China's minimal deterrence aims to survive a first strike; the US and Russia pursue damage-limitation targeting other nuclear forces.
- Damage-limitation logic drives arms races because each side seeks more weapons to blunt the other's strike capability.
Uploads And A Regional Cascade Risk
- The treaty lapse risks 'uploading' reserves to deployed status, prompting reciprocal moves by Russia and continued Chinese expansion.
- Regional cascades could follow as India and Pakistan react to growing arsenals nearby.
Eroding Extended Deterrence Spurs Proliferation
- Allies worried about weakened US extended deterrence may consider their own nuclear options.
- Proliferation among allies would greatly increase instability and raise incentives for pre-emptive strikes.