Assessing the Dangers of a ‘New Nuclear Age’

EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The arsenals of nuclear powers are growing, the number of nations with nuclear weapons may soon rise as well, and Russia has used the threat of nuclear weapons to fend off more robust support for Ukraine. After a long period of global nuclear disarmament, the world is heading in the other direction – and experts fear the trend may be hard to reverse.

The recent headlines are ominous, and they come from many corners of the world: Beyond its Ukraine-related threats, Russia is reportedly considering the use of nuclear weapons in space; China is growing its arsenal faster than any other nation – by far – a pace that appears linked to its regional ambitions; and this week the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said North Korea had grown its nuclear weapons program “exponentially.” Meanwhile, U.S. allies including Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia have all said they may develop nuclear weapons of their own, and last month, Poland’s president suggested publicly that with an increasingly assertive and aggressive Russia to the east, and questions about the Trump administration’s commitments to Europe, nuclear weapons should be positioned on Polish soil, as a deterrent to Moscow. Surprisingly, perhaps, Iran may offer a window for hope in this domain – given the glimmers of hope that ongoing U.S.-Iran talks may lead to a scaling back of that country’s nuclear program