The Growing Threat of Nuclear Proliferation

Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly threatens nuclear weapon use if Russia’s sovereignty or territory faces a threat, especially as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year.Russia has revised its nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for their use. Nuclear weapon exchanges would kill tens or even hundreds of millions of people. The stakes are incredibly high.

The 1963 Cuban missile crisis nearly triggered nuclear war with the Soviet Union. This crisis fueled President john F. Kennedy’s worry that more nuclear-armed nations would create a dangerously unstable world. He predicted that by 1970, ten nations might possess nuclear weapons, and by 1975, that number could reach ten to twenty. Kennedy called this “the greatest possible danger and hazard to contemplate – a nuclear arms race on a multipolar basis.” His concerns resonate today with the potential for a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and East Asia.

The Cuban missile crisis spurred arms control efforts. The Limited Test Ban Treaty (1963) banned atmospheric and underwater testing, and the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was created. The NPT established a global framework for its 190 member countries to prevent non-nuclear states from acquiring these weapons.

Now, nine nations possess nuclear weapons, and more countries are considering developing them or purchasing them.this trend is deeply concerning.

In East Asia, North Korea is increasing its stockpile.