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.
In times of eroding arms control measures, nuclear-weapons states should consider enhancing transparency around their nuclear safety, security and reliability mechanisms (‘fail-safe’) to strengthen the risk reduction agenda. This policy brief, by ELN Senior Policy Fellow Julia Berghofer, shows how France and the UK can advance fail-safe individually and bilaterally, as well as in the P3 and P5 contexts. Non-nuclear-weapon states parties to the NPT and members of NATO could also support this.
By the end of August, Britain, France, and Germany have to decide whether to invoke the “snapback” mechanism, which would automatically restore pre-2015 UN sanctions on Iran. Hamidreza Azizi writes that a narrow path remains open for those willing to take it. He proposes a roadmap for phased cooperation with the IAEA, anchored in a parallel diplomatic track with Europe and the US. The window for such an approach may close within weeks; quick action on both sides is essential.
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 possible fallout from the recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities requires sustainable approaches to nuclear non-proliferation that go beyond ad hoc solutions, writes Almuntaser Albalawi. Any new diplomatic solution should be embedded within a broader, long-term strategy that includes steps toward a regional arms control framework in the Middle East, addressing the underlying drivers of proliferation. The international community should continue supporting initiatives that sustain dialogue and strengthen regional partnerships.
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.