This commentary collection compiles 11 articles by ELN network members and external collaborators as part of the ELN’s Protecting the Non-Proliferation Treaty project. The collection was published to align with the 2026 NPT Review Conference in New York City.
This commentary collection compiles 10 articles by ELN network members and external collaborators as part of the ELN’s Protecting the Non-Proliferation Treaty project. The collection was originally published for the 2026 NPT RevCon.
Many in Europe have felt frustrated by many African states’ equivocal posture on Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, Daniel Ajudeonu of the YGLN writes that African neutrality on the Ukraine war reflects economic realities, notably Russia’s growing role in African nuclear energy development. He argues Europe’s influence will remain limited unless it offers competitive, transparent, and development-oriented nuclear partnerships. Strategic cooperation in financing, technology transfer, and human capital could foster African alignment with European security priorities.
The impact of the Israel-US military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities in June will not only be felt in the Middle East. ELN senior network member Tarja Cronberg writes that these strikes also endanger the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The 2026 NPT Review Conference should concentrate on preventing nuclear proliferation in the Middle East and should focus on its commitment to a Middle East WMD-Free Zone before it’s too late.
At the 2025 NPT PrepCom, the European Leadership Network (ELN) convened experts and officials to explore practical steps for strengthening the treaty, including reducing nuclear risks and addressing emerging technologies.
At the 2025 NPT Preparatory Committee in New York this month a key issue likely to spark debate is the increasing salience of nuclear weapons. All five nuclear-weapon states under the NPT are increasing the role and significance of nuclear weapons in their military and security policies, at odds with the commitments accepted under the NPT. This new policy brief from the ELN’s Protecting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty project examines this challenge and offers recommendations for states to address it within the NPT framework.