"This week’s Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague was understandably overshadowed by the continuing international response to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. One aspect of the Ukraine crisis that deserves more attention is how the current standoff will impact the future of nuclear security cooperation between the United States and Russia..."

In his closing remarks at the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, President Obama emphasized the importance of accelerating nuclear security efforts over the next two years. His proposed federal budget, however, sends a different message.

In the lead-up to the nuclear security summit, Advancing Nuclear Security: Evaluating Progress and Setting New Goals outlines what was accomplished in a four-year effort launched in 2009 to secure nuclear material around the globe—and what remains to be done. The effort made significant progress, but some weapons-usable nuclear materials still remain “dangerously vulnerable." The authors highlight the continuing danger of nuclear and radiological terrorism and call for urgent action.

In an interview about a recent fundraising event at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, MA, former Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Chris Gabrieli said that President Obama “brought up, on his own, what keeps him up at night, and his first item was talking about loose nukes.” There is good reason for President Obama to be concerned. The threat of nuclear terrorism is real.

A series of high profile scandals in the US nuclear missile force have raised questions over security. In this HKS PolicyCast, MTA Research Associate Nick Roth explains the problem, what it means for nuclear security, what has been done to remedy the situation and how it might impact the Obama administration’s efforts towards nuclear non-proliferation.

Every year, training sessions are organized around the globe to educate those who work with nuclear materials on the seriousness of security. However, security culture is very difficult to change, especially when states have limited resources and the likelihood of nuclear theft is low in many places. On a good day, this is an uphill battle. News of Carey’s drunken exploits and cheating among missile officers does not make this task easier.

In preparation for next year’s Nuclear Security Summit in the Netherlands, the Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) is rolling out a series of reports on strengthening international efforts to secure nuclear material around the world. Matthew Bunn and William Tobey, along with other staff and fellows at the Belfer Center, have also begun briefing officials from key states attending the summit on priority steps for reducing nuclear security risks.