Following recent signals between the US and Russia over the possibility of renewed nuclear testing, we asked members to reflect on what this could mean for the broader global non-proliferation and arms control regime.
Ahmet Üzümcü, Senior Network member and former Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) during the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, outlines the steps the international community can take to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use by Russia in Ukraine.
Former Turkish ambassadors to NATO, Ahmet Üzümcü and Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, write that there is untapped potential for closer cooperation between Turkey and the United Kingdom in the defence and security fields.
Putin underestimated Western unity and the scope of Western reactions to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, write Üzümcü, Ceylan and İldem. However, they note that had such an invasion occurred during Donald Trump’s presidency, the Western reaction may have been quite different.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine increases nuclear risks and represents a major setback for multilateral nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament diplomacy. To mitigate the risk of nuclear escalation, the P5 must demonstrate to the international community that they stand behind their joint affirmation that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
Network members share their views on the joint statement of the leaders of the Five Nuclear-Weapon States, Jan 2022.