In our latest commentary from the ELN’s New European Voices on Existential Risk (NEVER) network, Shane Ward and Eva Siegmann, explore how the emergence of non-nuclear strategic threats (NNST) has undermined the normative taboo surrounding the use of nuclear weapons, and why new methods extending beyond deterrence are needed to ensure international stability.
Mark Hibbs writes that while the conflict between Hamas and Israel has complicated the situation, the rationale behind the US push for Israeli-Saudi normalisation and continued US-Saudi nuclear negotiations remain strong. The Hamas attack is a reminder of the potential for disruption that a nuclear-armed Iran could have on the region.
Noah Mayhew, Senior Research Associate at the Vienna Centre for Peace and Disarmament, reflects on how the political debate around the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership is evolving at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and offers insights on potential productive steps forward.
On the 21st of July, the ELN co-hosted a private screening of Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed film ‘Oppenheimer’ with a range of peace and security partners. We asked nuclear policy experts in attendance what they made of the film and its relevance for arms control, non-proliferation, and nuclear threats today.
NEVER members gathered for a roundtable discussion of AI and its role in aggravating existential risks.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has exposed critical flaws in the international nuclear realm. Valeriia Hesse writes that to prevent the total erosion of the non-proliferation norm, a realistic and pragmatic approach towards gradual nuclear arms reductions must be pursued. Ahead of the NPT PrepCom, she outlines concrete steps that the international community can take to build a stronger and more resilient nuclear order.