By Sarah Kirchner-Barney The specter of the Cold War continues to loom large as nuclear saber-rattling has become commonplace from Russia, China continues its ongoing nuclear expansion, and fears of a seventh North Korean nuclear test have put nuclear weapons back in the spotlight. But why worry? The world survived a Cold War once before, […] The post Addressing the China Challenge: The Fallacy of Relying on a Cold War Lens for Nuclear Issues appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

By Shawn Rostker Sunday, July 21, broke the record for the hottest day recorded on Earth in modern times. The following day, that record was broken again.    Extreme weather events like this are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity than during any other period of recorded human existence, and the cumulative effects of climate […] The post Heatwaves and H-Bombs: The Nuclear Triad’s Vulnerabilities to Climate Change appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

By John Erath On August 11, news broke out of a fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine. Both the Russian and Ukrainian governments immediately blamed each other, but, as with previous incidents, it seems absurd that Ukraine would risk a nuclear incident on its own territory, whereas Russia celebrates its history […] The post Playing With Fire Is Dangerous appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

by Ivan Siluianov* Today, the world is inundated with 3D-printed guns, which are used in major armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, and homicides. While UN member states are trying to address the impact of these weapons, one question arises: Are 3D-printers — barely regulated and widely accessible — capable of enabling the production of components for […] The post Printers of Mass Destruction: Seeking Pathways to Curb the Threat of Additive Manufacturing appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

By Sarah Kirchner-Barney Alignment between Russia and North Korea has grown with Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting Pyongyang on June 19 for the first time in 24 years to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Putin-Kim Summit was supposed to be a two-day affair but was cut short, as Putin was held […] The post Triangular Tensions: US, China, and the Emerging Russia-North Korea Alliance appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

By John Erath Thus far, nuclear weapons have not figured prominently into the issues playing a role in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election. They should. Whether involving Russian nuclear blackmail, China increasing its arsenal or questions about the future of the U.S. deterrent, how the President addresses nuclear issues between 2025 and 2029 will have […] The post There won’t be a debate on nuclear issues this election cycle. But if there were… appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

By John Erath  In 2022, the HBO series House of the Dragon premiered, and I posted an item on this blog discussing the show, in particular the role of dragons as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Not surprisingly, I received more comments about that post than most of the others I’ve done. More people, it […] The post House of WMD – Season 2: Team Black vs. Team Green appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

By John Erath with Sarah Kirchner-Barney “We prefer a diplomatic solution.”  This is inevitably the first sentence uttered by a U.S. government spokesperson in response to any international crisis. And with good reason. What would be the alternative to a diplomatic solution? Another war with no end in sight? Obviously, resolving issues without resorting to violence would be […] The post What If There Were No Diplomatic Solution?  appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

By John Erath Each year on May 9, Russia celebrates “Victory Day,” with typically excessive self-congratulation on the ending of the Second World War. The occasion is not commemorated with the same enthusiasm in other parts of eastern Europe for which May 9, 1945, marked a new era in Russia’s domination. History aside, early May […] The post Current Russian Threats Are Predictable for This Time of Year appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more

By John Erath  *SPOILERS BELOW* If the way we think about nuclear weapons has changed over time, should the way we approach arms control do so as well?  This thought occurred to me as I drove home recently after seeing Dune Part 2, Denis Villeneuve’s conclusion of his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel. Nuclear weapons […] The post Thinking Evolves: On Dune Part Two and Nuclear Weapons  appeared first on Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation ..read more