• Research
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie India logoCarnegie lettermark logo
Technology
{
  "authors": [
    "George Perkovich",
    "Patricia Lewis"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [
    "U.S. Nuclear Policy"
  ],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "NPP",
  "programs": [
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "East Asia",
    "China",
    "Caucasus",
    "Russia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Nuclear Policy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

The Vantage Point

In this paper commissioned by the International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, George Perkovich and Patricia Lewis identify possible nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation steps that could take the world in the mid-term to a position from which the latter steps toward abolition of nuclear weapons could be charted.

Link Copied
By George Perkovich and Patricia Lewis
Published on Jan 1, 2009

Source: ICNND Research Paper

A willingness by nuclear-armed states to make binding commitments to move to a Vantage Point—a position of deep reductions in nuclear weapons—from which abolition can be envisaged, mapped and navigated, would begin to restore confidence in the nuclear order. It is a necessary condition for enlisting non-nuclear-weapon states in the cooperation needed to avert crisis and strengthen the nuclear order. Moreover, constructing such a Vantage Point would in and of itself enhance global security because each of its elements would reduce the salience of nuclear weapons, the risks of nuclear war and terrorism, and the probability of proliferation, while increasing the prospects that nuclear energy can be distributed to enhance global development.

It is also a realistic approach for nuclear disarmament in that a nuclear-weapon-free world would have another set of dangers than the one we now inhabit. In eliminating nuclear weapons, and therefore reducing the likelihood of a nuclear war, we also, at the same time, wish also to reduce the likelihood of war per se. A more stable world, in which conflict resolution mechanisms can be made to work, in which the threat level against states and peoples is reduced, is going to pave the way for nuclear disarmament and war prevention. Power imbalances will have to be addressed as will other types of security assurances—ones that may indeed provide far greater reassurance than the nuclear umbrella—in which faith has been diminishing significantly since the end of the cold war.

Authors

George Perkovich
Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons, Senior Fellow
George Perkovich
Patricia Lewis
Nuclear PolicyNorth AmericaUnited StatesEast AsiaChinaCaucasusRussia

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie India

  • Commentary
    The Impact of U.S. Sanctions and Tariffs on India’s Russian Oil Imports

    This piece examines India’s response to U.S. sanctions and tariffs, specifically assessing the immediate market consequences, such as alterations in import costs, and the broader strategic implications for India’s energy security and foreign policy orientation.

      Vrinda Sahai

  • Paper
    India-China Economic Ties: Determinants and Possibilities

    This paper examines the evolution of India-China economic ties from 2005 to 2025. It explores the impact of global events, bilateral political ties, and domestic policies on distinct spheres of the economic relationship.

      Santosh Pai

  • Commentary
    NISAR Soars While India-U.S. Tariff Tensions Simmer

    On July 30, 2025, the United States announced 25 percent tariffs on Indian goods. While diplomatic tensions simmered on the trade front, a cosmic calm prevailed at the Sriharikota launch range. Officials from NASA and ISRO were preparing to launch an engineering marvel into space—the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), marking a significant milestone in the India-U.S. bilateral partnership.

      Tejas Bharadwaj

  • Article
    Hidden Tides: IUU Fishing and Regional Security Dynamics for India

    This article examines the scale and impact of Chinese IUU fishing operations globally and identifies the nature of the challenge posed by IUU fishing in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It also investigates why existing maritime law and international frameworks have struggled to address this growing threat.

      Ajay Kumar, Charukeshi Bhatt

  • Commentary
    TRUST and Tariffs

    The India-U.S. relationship currently appears buffeted between three “Ts”—TRUST, Tariffs, and Trump.

      Arun K. Singh

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie India
Carnegie India logo, white
Unit C-4, 5, 6, EdenparkShaheed Jeet Singh MargNew Delhi – 110016, IndiaPhone: 011-40078687
  • Research
  • About
  • Experts
  • Projects
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie India
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.