Nuclear Weapons

Peace activists wearing masks of Putin and Biden pose with mock nuclear missiles in front of the US embassy in Berlin on January 29, 2021 in an action to call for more progress in nuclear disarmament. One activist holds a sign reading, “Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.”

Why Biden and Putin Should Restart Talks on Strategic Stability and Nuclear Arms Control

Their summit is pivotal to begin reducing the growing risk of nuclear conflict and get back on track to pare excessive, dangerous stockpiles,

Jun. 14, 2021 Daryl G. Kimball

The US Legend-class national security Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton wears a face mask in the port of Odessa on the Black Sea after conducting joint exercises according to NATO standards with the Ukrainian Navy ship Starobelsk on May 11, 2021 in Odessa, Ukraine.

Neither NATO, Nor Nukes: The Answer to Ukraine’s Security is a Strategic Alliance with the United States

A US-Ukraine alliance wouldn't significantly alter the perceptions of Russian leaders. But it would greatly limit their room to escalate.

May 20, 2021 Mariana Budjeryn and Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on International Women’s Day as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin listens during an announcement at the East Room of the White House March 8, 2021 in Washington, DC.

The Illegality of Targeting Civilians by Way of Belligerent Reprisal: Implications for U.S. Nuclear Doctrine

It is time for the United States to acknowledge that customary international law today prohibits targeting civilians in reprisal for an adversary’s violations of the law of war.

May 10, 2021 Scott Sagan and Allen Weiner

Anti-nuclear activists of ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) and other peace initiatives stage a protest with 51 flags of countries that ratified the UN Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons and a banner reading "Nuclear weapons are forbidden ! More than 50 states joined. Germany didn't", in front of the Chancellery in Berlin, on January 22, 2021.

NATO and the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty: Options for the Biden Administration

Whether the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons becomes a problem for NATO is entirely up to the allies.

Jan. 28, 2021 Kjølv Egeland

Russian nuclear missile rolls along Red Square during the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi defeat, on June 24, 2020 in Moscow, Russia. The requirement to wear masks and gloves to combat a spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is still in effect in Moscow, but none of the military members lined up wear face masks.

The Demise of Arms Control Extends Far Beyond Nuclear Weapons

Bilateral and multilateral mechanisms are disintegrating amid tech advances, and “grey zones” below military conflict thresholds are ripe for exploitation.

Jan. 22, 2021 Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr. and Elizabeth Turpen

U.S. and Iran flags are projected on chess kings on a chess board. The projection continues to the background behind the chess pieces, leaving shadows of the chess pieces.

Shifting Contours, But the Same Solution: Swiftly Returning to the Iran Nuclear Deal

While the landscape between Iran and the United States has changed dramatically over the last few months, the solution to Iran’s growing nuclear stockpile and increasing tensions…

Jan. 21, 2021 Shervin Ghaffari

Members attend the signing ceremony for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons September 20, 2017 at the United Nations in New York.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and its Limited Impact on the Legality of their Use

On October 24, 2020, following Honduras’ ratification, the UN announced the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) would enter into force on January 22, 2021. Accompanying…

Dec. 7, 2020 Durward Johnson and Heather Tregle

Destroyed buildings in Hiroshima-Shi, Japan.

How I Came to Support the Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons

For too long, too many people in the U.S. military, in government, and in the general public have not fully contemplated how disastrous using nuclear weapons was and could be.…

Nov. 19, 2020 Lawrence Korb

Parchment paper reading, “The Good Governance Papers: A Collection of Essays in favor of public integrity and the rule of law as written upon at Just Security Fall 2020”

Good Governance Paper No. 20: Repairing and Strengthening Norms of Nuclear Restraint

Latest in a series of top experts exploring proposals to restore and promote nonpartisan principles of good government, public integrity, and the rule of law.

Nov. 1, 2020 Dakota S. Rudesill

Secretary-General António Guterres briefs reporters on the signing of a ceasefire agreement by the Libyan parties in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations.

National Security This Week at the United Nations (October 23-30)

Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons gains 50th signatory; schools face terror attacks in multiple countries; COVID-19 infections interrupt UN meetings; UN expresses concern…

Oct. 30, 2020 Tim Hirschel-Burns

The final day of negotiations on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) at the United Nations in New York in July 2017.

A Turning Point in the Struggle Against the Bomb: The Nuclear Ban Treaty Ready to Go Into Effect

The US and other major nuclear powers tried to slow the momentum, but the treaty has already changed the conversation.

Oct. 27, 2020 Daryl G. Kimball

Putin sits a desk during a video conference. A large television screen on a cart shows the other participants of the meeting.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (Sept. 25 – Oct. 2)

Security Council holds emergency meeting on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict; tensions flare between China-US; progress and challenges in Sudan peace process; island nations warn, “Climate…

Oct. 2, 2020 Lyes Jalali