Analysis / CommentaryCan France and the United Kingdom Replace the U.S. Nuclear Umbrella?ByDoreen Horschig and Astrid ChevreuilPublished Mar 13, 2025As doubts grow over U.S. nuclear commitments, Germany’s new chancellor has sparked debate on whether France and the United Kingdom could provide a European nuclear umbrella. But with strategic and doctrinal hurdles ahead, is Europe ready to reshape its nuclear deterrence?
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityOn the Horizon Vol. 7ByDoreen HorschigPublished Jan 3, 2025The Nuclear Scholars Initiative is a signature program run by the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) to engage emerging nuclear experts in thoughtful and informed debate over how to best address the nuclear community’s most pressing problems. The papers included in this volume comprise research from participants in the 2024 Nuclear Scholars Initiative. These papers explore a range of crucial debates across deterrence, arms control, and non-proliferation communities. Series On The Horizon
Analysis / CommentaryWhy Did China and Russia Stage a Joint Bomber Exercise near Alaska?ByHeather Williams, Kari A. Bingen and Lachlan MackenziePublished Jul 31, 2024On July 24, the North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted two Chinese and two Russian bombers flying near Alaska. This incident was the first of its kind and could signal a growing willingness on the part of Beijing and Moscow to test American resolve.
Analysis / ReportHouse of Cards? Nuclear Norms in an Era of Strategic CompetitionByHeather Williams and Doreen HorschigPublished Jul 31, 2024While the norms against nuclear proliferation, use, and testing are widely supported and critical for stability, they are increasingly contested. The fragile interconnectedness of the norms urges global action to reinforce these pillars and prevent a destabilizing cascade.
Analysis / CommentaryAnticipating a Change in Public SentimentsByDoreen HorschigPublished Jul 31, 2024In the future, NATO should engage in a more structured public education campaign to counter Russian disinformation campaigns and maintain public support for its defense policies, strategy toward Ukraine, and nuclear mission.
Analysis / CommentaryEurope Needs More Conventional Forces, Not Its Own NukesByDoreen Horschig and Sean MonaghanPublished Jul 31, 2024The U.S. election has renewed debate about an independent European nuclear force. Yet this distracts from the real European defense issue: a lack of conventional combat power. Europe’s main task remains the same as during the Cold War: strengthen conventional deterrence.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityExploring Tactical Nuclear Possibilities in JapanByIku TsujihiroPublished May 15, 2024Japanese Doubts Over the Credibility of the Current Extended Deterrence Select Japanese politicians have discussed the need for NATO-style nuclear sharing in Japan as early as 2016. This became a more well-known conversation when ex-Prime Minister Abe publicly reintroduced the topic after Russia invaded Ukraine. PM Abe commented “Japan is a signatory to the Nuclear…
Analysis / ReportCSIS European Trilateral Track 2 Nuclear DialoguesByHeather WilliamsPublished May 14, 2024The European Trilateral Track 2 Nuclear Dialogues, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in partnership with the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS), have convened senior nuclear policy experts from the United Kingdom, France, and the United States (P3) since 2009 to discuss nuclear deterrence, arms control, and nonproliferation policy issues.
Analysis / Next Gen Community, ReportOn the Horizon Vol. 6ByDoreen Horschig and Jess LinkPublished May 14, 2024The Nuclear Scholars Initiative is a signature program run by the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) to engage emerging nuclear experts in thoughtful and informed debate over how to best address the nuclear community’s most pressing problems. The papers included in this volume comprise research from participants in the 2023 Nuclear Scholars Initiative. These papers explore a range of crucial debates across deterrence, arms control, and non-proliferation communities.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityThe ceaseless return of the Eurodeterrent debate: Focusing on the right questionByLinde DesmaelePublished May 1, 2024While the concept of a European nuclear deterrent is by most deemed ill-advised, it also stems from a deeper unease: How to navigate a world where Russia appears increasingly aggressive and the United States more unpredictable. Rather than hastily pursuing nuclear alternatives, European leaders must define their Russia problem first.