Analysis / CommentaryOptions for the United States to Resolve the Iran Nuclear ChallengeByHeather Williams and Joseph RodgersPublished Apr 2, 2026By relying on the nuclear justification for the war with Iran, Trump may have painted himself into a corner because now, the end of the war must also have a nuclear solution.
Analysis / CommentarySatellite Imagery Analysis of China’s Alleged 2020 Nuclear Test at Lop NurByJoseph Rodgers and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr.Published Feb 13, 2026New CSIS PONI Analysis from Joseph Rodgers and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. examine satellite imagery from China’s Lop Nur test site, assessing claims that 2020 activity may have gone beyond a “zero-yield” standard.
Analysis / Commentary2026 CSIS European Trilateral Track 2 Nuclear DialoguesByHeather WilliamsPublished Feb 12, 2026Intensifying strategic challenges and growing nuclear risks reinforce the need for continued unity and close coordination among the United States, the United Kingdom, and France as responsible nuclear weapons states within NATO.
Analysis / CommentaryThree Truths About the End of New START and What It Means for Strategic CompetitionByHeather WilliamsPublished Feb 2, 2026The expiration of New START does not necessarily foretell an arms race or a massive U.S. nuclear buildup. Instead, the expiration of the treaty may be an opportunity for a new era of arms control.
Analysis / CommentaryUkraine’s Drone Swarms Are Destroying Russian Nuclear Bombers. What Happens Now?ByMasao Dahlgren and Lachlan MackenziePublished Jun 10, 2025Ukrainian drones have left Russian nuclear-capable bombers in flames. Will Ukraine’s June 1 drone attack, conducted thousands of miles inside Russian territory, change Russia’s nuclear posture? Could the same happen in the United States?
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityThe Battlefield Above: Why the U.S. Must Enhance Deterrence to Prevent a Space War with ChinaByAlex Alfirraz ScheersPublished May 6, 2025 The United States’s ability to secure its vital interests is contingent on how effectively and credibly it deters China from space.
Analysis / CommentaryRevising Missile Controls Is Necessary to Help Allies and Prevent New Nuclear StatesByPranay Vaddi and Ola CraftPublished May 6, 2025Trump’s defense agenda could benefit from the Biden administration’s final MTCR reforms, which align with Trump’s goals to strengthen the U.S. industrial base while building allied capabilities, deterring adversaries, and preventing nuclear proliferation.
Analysis / ReportGame On: Opportunities for Euro-Atlantic Strategic Stability and Arms ControlByHeather Williams, Nicholas Adamopoulos, Lachlan Mackenzie and Catherine MurphyPublished Apr 23, 2025Europe is likely to remain a theater of instability despite pressure for a peace settlement in Ukraine. As the United States shifts toward the Indo-Pacific and Russia continues to pursue its territorial ambitions, what might arms control look like after the war in Ukraine?
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityHow a Second Trump Term Could Shape U.S. Nuclear Posture in Europe and the Indo-Pacific ByMariam KvaratskheliaPublished Apr 10, 2025The early days of Trump’s second term have been marked by statements signaling a departure from his first-term nuclear doctrine—but geopolitical realities in two key theaters and potential congressional pushback are likely to limit the extent of that pivot.
Analysis / CommentaryCSIS European Trilateral Track 2 Nuclear DialoguesByHeather WilliamsPublished Apr 9, 2025Political shifts and a rapidly changing security environment continue to reinforce the importance of close collaboration and unity between the United States, the United Kingdom, and France as responsible nuclear weapons states and NATO alliance members.