Forty years ago, US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev made a profound declaration: “A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” Their words rang out across a world living under the constant shadow of atomic annihilation. For a fleeting moment at the 1986 Reykjavik summit, the two men came tantalizingly close to a deal to eliminate all nuclear weapons. But the historic opportunity slipped through their fingers.
Today, the threat of nuclear Armageddon looms larger than ever. Stockpiles have shrunk since the Cold War, but an estimated 13,000 warheads still exist globally. The last remaining arms control treaty between the US and Russia is set to expire in 2026, with no talks on the horizon to extend it. Should the New START pact lapse, the two countries with 90% of the world’s nukes could begin an unconstrained arms race – sending an alarming signal to other nuclear powers.
A World on the Brink
The precariousness of the current situation cannot be overstated. With Donald Trump back in the White House and Russia’s Vladimir Putin issuing reckless nuclear threats over Ukraine, the risks of a miscalculation or escalation are sky-high. China too is bolstering its arsenal, leading to a potential three-way arms race. Elsewhere, from North Korea to Iran, the specter of proliferation looms large.
The consequences of any nuclear exchange would be catastrophic on a global scale. As author Annie Jacobsen chillingly describes in “Nuclear War”, if Russia and the US launched on each other, thousands of warheads would rain fire on cities across Europe and North America. Billions would perish instantly; for the survivors, a nuclear winter and radioactive hellscape awaits. Life as we know it would cease to exist.
A Moral and Legal Imperative
Faced with such devastation, many say the only solution is the total elimination of nuclear weapons. In 2017, 122 countries adopted the landmark Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the UN. Though nuclear-armed states boycotted it, the agreement represents a powerful challenge to the status quo of deterrence.
The treaty’s message is clear: the only way to guarantee nuclear weapons will never be used again is to eliminate them outright. It is not just a security imperative, but a profound moral and humanitarian obligation.
Disappointingly, the US, Russia, and other nuclear powers have shown little interest in disarmament. They cling stubbornly to arsenals and doctrines conceived for a bygone era. But the Treaty’s logic is sound. As long as these weapons exist, the risk of their use – whether by design, miscalculation, or accident – can never be zero.
Urgent Need for Arms Control
While elimination remains the ultimate goal, in the near term arms control is essential to reduce skyrocketing risks. Washington and Moscow must build on Reagan and Gorbachev’s example. The alternative, a world without limits on the deadliest weapons ever conceived, is unthinkable.
- Extend New START and negotiate deeper cuts. The treaty’s expiration would remove all constraints on the US and Russian arsenals.
- Engage other nuclear powers in the process. Future arms control cannot be a bilateral affair; the world has changed too much.
- Place real limits on new weapons. Dangerous new delivery systems and technologies are arising with no regulation.
Most of all, what’s needed is courageous leadership and compromise. The US and Russia must overcome mistrust to find common ground on collective security. For all their bitter divides, they share an interest in staving off nuclear catastrophe. It won’t be easy, but there is no alternative. The fate of the planet depends on it.
A Generational Challenge
Eight decades after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the nuclear threat has not receded – only evolved. In today’s unstable multipolar world, the risks may be greater than ever. Bold action is needed before it’s too late.
Will we rise to this existential challenge, or sleepwalk into the abyss? Can we rekindle the spirit of Reykjavik and chart a path to a world free of nuclear danger? The coming years will be decisive in answering these questions and determining humanity’s fate. There is still a chance to pull back from the brink and leave a safer world to future generations. We must seize it before the hands of the Doomsday Clock strike midnight.
