The risks of a nuclear incident—including the detonation of a nuclear bomb or dirty bomb, or a cyberattack on a nuclear power plant—have been discussed ad nauseam. Investment icon Warren Buffett and many international security experts have expounded on the significant risks of a nuclear incident in the coming decades. Many experts, in fact, actually … Continued

This book reveals how Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church have been working hand in hand lately, with Russian Orthodox priests taking over the role formerly held by political officers during the Communist period. They keep an eye on the spiritual purity of the troops, glorify the military, ensure the soldiers’ reliability during combat—and even bless nuclear weapons, sprinkling them with holy water.

The ongoing nuclear power plant disaster in Japan has once again pushed the topic of radiation safety into the public consciousness, while also reminding us that the public continues to doubt government and nuclear industry information on safety and the effects of radiation. Part of this wariness stems from the fact that people cannot detect radiation using their own senses, which creates a dread of the unknown. People are also very aware that the effects of radiation are cumulative and may not appear for many years, so the outcome of a disaster like Fukushima is not easy to predict.

As headlines spout news of global crises, news avoidance is high and increasing, according to Reuters report. The finding raises concern as world governance relies on engaged citizens to drive conversations about how to solve dire problems.

The initial take on the summit between Presidents Trump and Putin does not augur well for US national interests. It is difficult to see how the summit will do much to move US-Russia relations to a better place. The hope, a faint one, is that follow-on discussions between US and Russian officials will begin to … Continued

Contrary to popular opinion, Washington and Moscow should strive now to make progress on bilateral arms control. A more ambitious treaty that limits modernization plans can help stabilize a volatile situation.

Missiles are a critical component of a country’s nuclear weapons arsenal, which is one reason why concern over missile proliferation is widespread among policy experts. Yet, there is no consensus on how to respond to the WMD missile challenge.

The agenda of the bilateral summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin was jam-packed. It was no surprise, however, that the sole joint statement issued was on the topic of strategic stability. This is perhaps one of the few areas where US and Russian interests do and must converge.

For decades now, India has obstinately resisted the idea of joining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), claiming that the treaty is both flawed and discriminatory. Thus, India, a country with a nuclear weapons arsenal, has long stood outside of the nonproliferation regime. Yet recent government statements seem to indicate that New Delhi is rethinking its stance on the treaty--a very timely discussion, given the upcoming 2010 NPT Review Conference, at which reforming the treaty to reflect current security considerations is likely to be a topic of deliberation.

The source of tension is not Trump leaving the JCPOA, but rather the dangerously flawed nuclear deal itself and Iran’s ongoing nuclear weapons ambitions.

His message is simple: Nuclear weapons are not a force of nature, and they are not an act of god. We have built these with our own hands, and we know how to take them apart.

Working as partners, one-time enemy researchers made breakthroughs they couldn’t have achieved alone.

The outcome of the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit left a lot to be desired, and much remains to be done to minimize the nuclear and radiological terrorism risk.

As the world’s eyes focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine in coming days, the Biden administration will likely also be rolling out key nuclear policy documents, including a Nuclear Posture Review. There will be many issues to consider, but one that shouldn’t be missed—the urgency of which has been highlighted by recent developments in Ukraine, and particularly around the Chernobyl site—is the security of nuclear materials.

Editor’s note: The following memo was distributed to Dr. Hamre’s trustees and has been reprinted with permission. Colleagues, Please find Dr. Hamre’s most recent memo, attached here and pasted below. To: CSIS Board of Trustees, Advisers, and FriendsFrom: John J. HamreDate: December 6, 2017 (Number 453. Two pages.)Subject: Running out of time Last week I … Continued

Russia's Ministry of Defense held an unprecedented international conference in Moscow last week to explain "how NATO missile defense facilities … may affect Russia's forces of nuclear deterrence." Senior Russian military officials used the meeting, which included 200 participants from 50 countries, to publicly back President Vladimir Putin's decision to skip the NATO summit in Chicago later this mon

At long last, the United States and Russia are on the verge of signing a new treaty that reduces the countries' nuclear arsenals. The treaty, a follow-on to the landmark 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), has been 95 percent complete for months, at least according to many U.S. and Russian officials, but disagreements over missile defense and verification procedures delayed the process. The result of these difficult negotiations will now face what could be equally tortuous consideration by the U.S. Senate.