On February 3 and 4, President of the U.S. Bishops Conference and Pope Leo XIV, respectively, made an urgent mobilization to convince policy-makers in the U.S. and Russia to make every effort to renew the New Start Treaty.
Speaking during the General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV [urged]( https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-02/pope-leo-appeal-prayers-ukraine-new-start-treaty-nuclear-disarma.html) that the New START Treaty, “not be allowed to lapse without seeking to ensure a concrete and effective follow-up.” The Pope stressed that the agreement represents an important step in limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the February 4 Vatican News reported.
The Pontiff continued that the current situation, “demands that everything possible be done to avert a new arms race that would further threaten peace among nations.”
Urging leaders to turn to a higher viewpoint, the Pope emphasized the need to think and move beyond a logic rooted in fear and mistrust. In its place, he called for a shared ethic capable of guiding decisions toward the common good, “so that peace may become a responsibility and a heritage safeguarded by all.”
