ELN Policy Fellow Katarzyna Kubiak contributes on “Vertical Proliferation in Light of the Disarmament Commitment” to the book on “Non-Nuclear Peace Beyond the Nuclear Ban Treaty”, edited by Tom Sauer, Jorg Kustermans and Barbara Segaert.

On the chapter:

Nuclear-weapon modernization is an increasingly contested practice. This chapter shows that the relation between vertical proliferation and disarmament is neither straightforward nor unidirectional. On the one hand, while vertical proliferation implies greater numbers, qualitative enhancements, new military capabilities or an increased role of weapon systems, it can have some limited disarmament-inducing side effects. On the other hand, while the primary aim of arms control and disarmament is to reduce the number of and reliance on nuclear weapons, they paradoxically often go hand in hand with commitments supporting vertical proliferation. This chapter approaches the topic from a conceptual and legal point of view, and analyses its technical aspects and practical implementation by showcasing current US modernization and arms control efforts.

The chapter and book are available for purchase with Palgrave.