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The United States accused Pakistan of developing long-range ballistic missiles and announced new sanctions on four Pakistani entities involved with the development of those systems.
In recent years, significant attention has been focused rightly on the dangers posed by a three-way nuclear competition among China, Russia, and the United States and their failure to engage in meaningful diplomacy to halt and reverse the nuclear arms race as required by the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
Decades after India and Pakistan joined China in conducting nuclear tests and declaring themselves states with nuclear weapons, the region remains risk prone and there is little chance of engagement on nuclear issues.
Membership bids by the two southern Asian countries present a unique challenge for the world’s leading multilateral nuclear export control group.
The NPT preparatory committee meets in Geneva as states-parties discuss a path forward to the 2026 Review Conference. Kazakhstan announces a nuclear-weapons-free zones workshop. The United States continues with its ICBM modernization program.
In order to strengthen tactical-theater deterrence in an evolving strategic environment, Pakistan needs to further enhance its conventional strength.
Nongovernmental leaders in nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, as well as high-level former government officials, scientists, and downwinders are calling on governments take urgent action to counter growing threats to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the de facto global nuclear test moratorium.
China Constructs Nuclear Reactor in Pakistan
Russia terminates New START data exchanges with the United States. Facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus to be completed by July, according to Russia. U.S. lawmakers want more nuclear weapons to counter China.
Unlike the rough parity between Soviet and U.S. forces in the Cold War, China, India, and Pakistan are at disparate levels in terms of conventional, space, cyber, and nuclear capabilities.
The United States and Russia agree to language supporting arms control talks on a successor to New START at the 10th review conference for the NPT. Moscow temporarily pauses New START on-site inspections. Washington sees no possibility of imminent Russian nuclear use.
India blamed the misfire on a “technical malfunction.”
In what could be an important move, the two states urged adoption of guidelines aimed at guarding against the development and proliferation of biological weapons.
Any optimism must be tempered by the recent fighting between Israel and Hamas, but the diplomatic building blocks of future disarmament progress may be falling in place.