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“THE DOOR SHOULD ALWAYS BE OPEN TO DIPLOMACY” As the team here at the Center continues to track new developments in Ukraine, the nuclear risks of the current crisis remain top of mind. In a rare joint statement, the Boards of Directors of both the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and its sister organization, the Council for a Livable World, condemned Russia’s illegal and dangerous invasion of Ukraine. “The Ukraine War should be a wake up call about the ongoing risk of nuclear war and underline the importance of reducing the number of nuclear weapons,” said the statement signed on behalf of the 28 combined members of both boards. “We support all efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the war. The door should always be open to diplomacy.” The Center team has continued to update a series of frequently asked questions about the nuclear issues involved in the Ukraine crisis. They answer questions about why Ukraine is so important to Russia, whether Ukraine has the tools to build a nuclear weapon, the likelihood of Russian President Vladimir Putin using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, and more. This information has been shared widely in Congressional offices and across social media, helping promote informed conversation in a sea of rapidly changing news and misinformation. We know the news about the ongoing conflict can be overwhelming; here is a selection of several interviews featuring our team members over the past few weeks.
Senior Policy Director John Erath published an op-ed in Just Security, arguing that ensuring the interests of Ukraine and its government take precedence at the negotiating table will provide the best prospect for an enduring peace. “A lasting solution requires keeping the best interests of the Ukrainian people in mind, something that could take many more months or longer to accomplish. There are risks that attempting a fast conclusion could prolong the suffering it would be meant to alleviate,” says Erath. The piece has also been translated into Ukrainian by a group of Ukrainian public international lawyers. Erath has also written several new posts for the Center’s Nukes of Hazard blog. Russian Atrocities and the Importance of Deterrence looks at how the international community can deter future human rights abuses in Ukraine by raising the opportunity costs to violations of international norms. Little or Too Much examines how, once again, Putin is using threats of nuclear weapons as an instrument of statecraft in an attempt to deter Sweden and Finland from joining NATO, and the dangers to arms control if these actions are normalized.
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BIDEN ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS DISAPPOINTING NUCLEAR POSTURE REVIEW AND FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET REQUEST In late March, President Biden’s team released initial documents for the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and details related to its recently completed but still classified Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). While the budget and NPR will take some commonsense steps to reverse some of the worst nuclear policies of the Trump administration, we believe they fall far short of the expectations raised by Candidate Biden when he said he would reduce the role of nuclear weapons. Check out the Center’s initial analysis of the $813 billion national defense budget request.
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THE FINAL HURDLE TO REVIVE THE IRAN DEAL By all accounts, the final sticking point between Washington and Tehran is whether or not to lift the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps listing as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Center has been busy explaining how the negotiators got to this point and building support in Congress for a return to the deal, should the Biden administration secure a compromise on this last issue.
Writing in Arms Control Today, Research Analyst Samuel Hickey laid out the current status of the negotiations and explained Russia’s efforts to tie its illegal invasion of Ukraine to the talks in Vienna. In that same publication, Hickey discussed a new agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resolve Iran’s safeguards compliance issues; previously the largest sticking point in the talks. Hickey also joined a TRT World Roundtable panel to discuss Russia’s role in revving the nuclear deal and provided commentary to the Italian Institute for International Political Studies on how Russia’s efforts to throw a spanner in the gears of the talks would impact Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA. Hickey also authored a set of frequently asked questions about the Iran deal and set the record straight on some of the most common misperceptions surrounding the 2015 agreement and ongoing talks in Vienna to revive the deal.
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A CONVERSATION WITH REP. KATIE PORTER
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WHAT ELSE Finding windows for cooperation amid rising nuclear threats, by Spring 2022 intern Anna Kim
Fact Sheet: The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program
America’s new multibillion-dollar nuclear warhead is a great deal for the British, by Summer 2021 intern Shane Ward
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DO YOU SHOP ON AMAZON? Did you know you can shop on Amazon and support nonprofits like the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation for free? Getting started is easy. Just follow these simple steps:
1. Visit smile.amazon.com
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