Senior Policy Director spoke with Global News about the pros and cons of a Canadian nuclear arsenal.
“Nuclear weapons are not the way to deal with growing uncertainty and danger around the world,” said John Erath, senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation in Washington, D.C.
“It’s not a good idea … and they contribute to the issue much more readily than they can resolve it.”
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Erath noted the treaty has been successful overall, reducing the global nuclear stockpile from 70,000 at the end of the Cold War to around 12,000 today, a drop of over 80 per cent.
“The last 20 per cent are proving very difficult to get at,” he said — and now some countries are pushing to build more.
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Erath pointed out that nuclear threats and deterrence “are only effective if you are prepared to carry them out,” which also helps explain why nuclear fears are rising globally.
“The thought of President Putin being ready to carry out some of the threats he’s made is one that is quite frightening,” he said.
However, Erath argued that’s precisely why Canada should continue to co-operate with the U.S. on both collective deterrence and eventual disarmament.
“It’s a wake-up call, and there should be some dialogue on this,” he said. “If Canada feels that its security is not adequately provided for, as an alliance partner, it has the obligation to make these concerns known” to both the U.S. and NATO.
“I’m personally an optimist, so I think we will get back to … considering really meaningful reduction in nuclear weapons. You don’t need a lot of nuclear weapons to deter a potential adversary. It only takes one.” Read more
