March 24, 2026
10:00 AM Eastern Time
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On Feb. 5, the last U.S.-Russian treaty limiting the two countries' nuclear arsenals expired, creating the possibility that the two will increase the number of their deployed strategic nuclear weapons for the first time in more than 35 years. U.S. President Donald Trump declined to take up a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue to respect the central limits of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty for one year.
Instead, Trump declared he would pursue a “new era of arms control” through an unspecified multilateral format that would include China, which is in the midst of a significant buildup of its nuclear arsenal. At the same time, U.S. officials have alleged that China conducted a secret nuclear test explosion in 2020 in violation of the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and Trump has threatened to resume U.S. testing “on an equal basis.”
This Arms Control Association briefing will explore potential pathways toward new nuclear arms control and risk reduction agreements between the U.S. and China, as well as among all five of the nuclear powers recognized by the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The panelists will also discuss risks posed by a possible resumption of nuclear testing as well as what inaction on arms control and disarmament might mean for the 2026 Review Conference of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and the global nuclear order.
Panelists:
- Mallory Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, Council on Strategic Risks
- Tong Zhao, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Thomas Countryman, Chair of the Board of Directors, Arms Control Association
- Daryl G. Kimball (moderator), Executive Director, Arms Control Association
A question and answer session will follow the panelists' remarks. To submit a question ahead of the event, email Xiaodon Liang at [email protected].
This event is open to the press and is on the record.