The geometry of nuclear competition has never been more complex. China’s nuclear force structure is growing rapidly. Russia and the United States have sloughed off treaties to facilitate freedom of action. Traditional arms control seems to be at an impasse. Some want nuclear prohibition; others demand ambitious agreements of far broader scope. The U.S. domestic consensus on treaty-making is broken. Arms control was the most significant unacknowledged diplomatic achievement of the Cold War, but it is now out of favor even as nuclear dangers rise. How did something so successful become so dispensable? Revival requires adaptation and ingenuity. Krepon details next steps and where we can go from here.
Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace: The Rise, Demise, and Revival of Arms Control • Stimson Center
