Getting to Zero

Right now multiple actions are taking place worldwide to reduce and control nuclear weapons, even while developments in Pakistan, Iran and elsewhere increase the nuclear threat. In his April 5 Prague speech, President Obama laid out his policy direction for the U.S.'s role in nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. He said that the U.S., as the only power to have used nuclear weapons against another country, has a moral obligation to lead the effort to rid the world of these weapons.

What is the U.S. doing to address nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament?

START: President Obama will go to Moscow to meet with Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev later in May on renewing the legally binding Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). The U.S. and Russia have the most nuclear weapons in the world, a lingering reminder of the days of the Cold War. The START negotiations could lead to a significant reduction in the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals and de-alert nuclear missiles which are still on high alert. Both the U.S. and Russia have agreed to conclude talks and have a treaty ready when the current agreement expires in December.

Strategic Posture Review: The Congressional Commission on the Nuclear Strategic Posture of the U.S. released its final report this week. The report stressed the need for U.S. leadership on nuclear issues and urged the U.S. and Russia to reduce the size of their nuclear arsenals. The report also called on the U.S. to sustain and strengthen the global nonproliferation regime and reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Article VI to move toward complete and total disarmament "directly and forcefully."

NPT: At an NPT conference this week in New York, President Obama urged UN delegates to strengthen the treaty so it can handle threats of nuclear terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons. The U.S. called for a balanced emphasis on the NPT's three pillars - disarmament, nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Under the NPT, signatory nations do not pursue nuclear weapons and in exchange the five nuclear powers commit to move toward nuclear disarmament.

CTBT: The Congressional Nuclear Strategic Posture report failed to recommend the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The U.S. has no plans or need to conduct nuclear weapons testing and would benefit from ratifying the CTBT. Banning testing of nuclear weapons would greatly constrain the ability of nuclear-armed nations to develop new weapons and for non-nuclear nations to acquire them. A push by the U.S. to sign the CTBT could ease regional tensions if other nations like Egypt, Iran and Israel followed suit.

Ending the global threat of nuclear weapons will greatly improve world peace and security. Obama emphasizes securing loose nukes from terrorists, such as in Pakistan where advances by the Taliban may put its nuclear weapons at risk of falling into the wrong hands. Obama also talks about ensuring that signatories to the NPT, like Iran, have access to peaceful nuclear power programs but cannot develop a bomb.

How can the U.S. maintain security while disarming our nuclear arsenal? How many weapons do the U.S. and Russia have? Will Russia feel secure enough to agree to lower its nuclear weapons stockpile? Will the U.S.'s leadership in disarming and strengthening nonproliferation lead us on a path to zero nuclear weapons in the world?