The European Union Council has provided a contribution of €5,280,000 as part of their EU Strategy against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the CTBTO announced last week.
A report delivered by a group made up largely of diplomats and former officials on May 17 to NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen does not give clear guidance on whether U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in Europe should be withdrawn, saying that “the Alliance should be prepared for in-depth consultations on the future role of nuclear weapons in its deterrence strategy.”
NATO is revising its Strategic Concept; the alliance is due to complete work on the document in November. A key issue in the revision is the deployment of
With other NATO countries such as
U.S. and European nuclear arms control and security experts reacted to the elements of a report from a group of senior advisors on reform of NATO's basic mission statement describing recommendations on Alliance nuclear policy as a missed opportunity to look forward and take the chance to mold the future of the Alliance.
A comment by NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on the importance of
On the first day of an informal April 22-23 meeting of NATO foreign ministers in
Volume 1, Number 1
Hillary Clinton recently met with the foreign ministers of various NATO allies in Tallinn, Estonia. They discussed the future of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. NATO no longer needs these weapons, and the U.S. decision to link their removal to Russian actions is disappointing.
The foreign ministers of five NATO countries last month called for a discussion of what the alliance can do to advance nuclear arms control and said “the inclusion of sub-strategic nuclear weapons in subsequent steps towards nuclear disarmament” should be part of the discussion.
Nearly 50 years ago, the United States introduced so-called tactical nuclear weapons into NATO forces in Europe to deter and, if necessary, use against a Soviet land attack. Not long after, the Soviet Union followed suit.
The U.S.-Soviet military rivalry is now over. Yet, both countries cling to the remnants of their massive tactical nuclear arsenals. An estimated150-250 U.S. nuclear gravity bombs remain at six bases in five NATO countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey. Russia is estimated to possess about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons in various states of readiness. (Continue)
Foreign Ministers of five NATO member states called for discussion of what NATO can do to advance progress in nuclear arms control, including “sub-strategic nuclear weapons in subsequent steps towards nuclear disarmament” in a February 26 letter to NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
ACA International Correspondant Oliver Meier and Ian Davis discuss European tactical weapons in NATO Watch.
Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) garnered the highest number of votes in an online poll to determine the "2009 Arms Control Person of the Year." Nine other individuals, institutions, and country groups were nominated by the staff of the Arms Control Association.
Wolfgang Zellner’s thoughtful article (“Can This Treaty Be Saved? Breaking the Stalemate on Conventional Forces in
Overshadowed by more pressing issues—Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and global terrorism—European security relations with Russia have deteriorated dramatically since the late 1990s. Over the last 10 years, European security policy has been increasingly dominated by unilateral and frequently confrontational approaches. (Continue)