Nuclear Issues

In February, the Pentagon released a new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), a comprehensive overview of the nation’s nuclear forces, their disposition, and plans for the future. Here, Belfer Center experts share their assessments of this NPR and the future of America’s nuclear capabilities.

New sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council on September 11 in response to North Korea’s latest nuclear test are “not significant enough,” according to R. Nicholas Burns, an Atlantic Council board member who served as undersecretary of state for political affairs in the George W. Bush administration.

Sanctions must be part of a “patient long-term strategy” that includes deterrence, working closely with allies, and negotiations, said Burns, laying out the United States’ options for dealing with the North Korean crisis.  

Russia once again dominates headlines, but U.S. expertise on the country is in demonstrable decline. With the launch of its new website, Russia Matters hopes to bring clarity to U.S. citizens following Russia-related news.

Graham Allison’s new book urges U.S, China and Russia to cooperate in preventing nuclear terrorism.

Olli Heinonen and William Tobey weigh in on IAEA’s nuclear security conference.

Siegfried S. Hecker calls for rekindling of U.S.-Russian nuclear security cooperation.

Matthew Bunn co-edits a volume on insider threats.

A key foreign affairs issue for the Trump administration will be its policy on Iran, as was the case also for the Obama administration. But we have no idea what approach it will take, an uncertainty amplified by the fact that Trump has no experience whatsoever in foreign policy, and no idea whose input he will accept in shaping it. It’s not as if we have no information about his attitude – during the election campaign, Trump made his intention on Iran very clear – but, as with other topics, it is unclear how he will act when once he is forced to translate his intentions into action and realizes that reality is far more complicated than he imagined.

Graham Allison calls for revitalization of U.S.-Russian nuclear cooperation.

Rolf Mowatt-Larssen and Monica Duffy Toft weigh in on countering WMD terrorism.

Matthew Bunn outlines nuclear challenges that Donald Trump will face.

Siegfried Hecker reminds us that U.S. and Russia have a joint responsibility to prevent nuclear terrorism.

William Tobey and Matthew Bunn look beyond nuclear security summits; Russian members of Elbe Group weigh in on U.S.-Russian security relationship; Graham Allison discusses why ISIS fears Israel; Siegfried Hecker’s new book on U.S.-Russian lab-to-lab cooperation has been published.

The annual meeting of the Belfer Center’s International Council in May drew members from around the world for two days of spirited discussion on critical issues ranging from ISIS and cyber threats to Russia and the U.S. economy. The Council members began their two-day meeting by attending a Belfer Center-sponsored JFK Jr. Forum titled “ISIS, Israel, and Spymasters: A Reality Check.” The evening featured a lively debate and discussion between Michael Morell, Belfer Center senior fellow and former deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Tamir Pardo, former director of the Mossad, moderated by Center Director Graham Allison.