Arms Control Was Invented to Reassure Each Other That the Intentions Are Not Aggressive: An Interview with Dr. George Perkovich, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 

Fumihiko Yoshida and Kokoro Nishiyama | Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament 

This interview examines Perkovich’s assessment of the future of nuclear arms control and the challenges facing the global nuclear order amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. ... He suggests that, while formal treaties face structural constraints within the United States, high-level political agreements between leaders may provide a more feasible path for arms control. Perkovich also cautions against nuclear acquisition by US allies warning that it underestimates the consequences of proliferation. Emphasizing that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons faces a generational challenge, he calls for renewed political leadership and dialogue to sustain the international nuclear order. The interview, conducted online on 19 February 2026, was accompanied by commentary on the implications of the US – Israel strikes on Iran for the nuclear order. 

Pentagon fiscal ’27 budget aims to ‘operationalize’ Golden Dome 

Aspen Pflughoeft | Aerospace America 

The $17.9 billion sought for Golden Dome in fiscal year 2027 would allow the Pentagon to “operationalize” the proposed missile defense shield, according to briefing materials released today. This funding would also allow the Pentagon to hire 506 full-time, civilian employees “to support Golden Dome for America and accelerate homeland missile defense development,” according to budget documents released today by the U.S. Defense Department. According to those documents, the Golden Dome funding is meant to strike “a deliberate balance between investments in disruptive, next-generation technologies while strengthening foundational capabilities, thereby simultaneously building future capabilities and improving near-term readiness.”

NATO criticises Russian and Chinese nuclear stances, urges cooperation with US

Andrew Gray | Reuters/Yahoo 

NATO criticised Russian and Chinese nuclear arms policies on Tuesday and urged both countries to work with the United States to establish greater stability and transparency at an upcoming international conference. ... In an ‌interview with Reuters, NATO Assistant Secretary General Boris Ruge ⁠cited Russia's use of its nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile – twice so far in Ukraine – as another example of irresponsible "nuclear signalling" from Moscow.  

‘Not under attack’: NRC chair dismisses claims of Trump interference 

Nico Portuondo | EnergyWire 

The chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told lawmakers that his agency is not under attack from the Trump administration, pushing back on claims from Democrats and nuclear safety advocates that recent moves have compromised the independence of the nation’s chief nuclear energy regulator. It was Republican Chair Ho Nieh’s first appearance on Capitol Hill since his confirmation in a bipartisan Senate vote in December. While the House Energy and Commerce hearing was officially focused on the agency’s budget, Democrats pressed Nieh and four other commissioners on whether the White House was doing lasting damage to an agency long considered the “gold standard” of nuclear safety. 

Nordic Nukes: Seeking Strategic Agency in Uncertain Times 

Astrid Chevreuil, Gine Lund Bolling, and Sara von Bonsdorff | CSIS 

Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s March 2 speech at Île-Longue, most Nordic countries—Sweden, Denmark, and Norway—have expressed interest in an additional European nuclear protection, to complement U.S. extended deterrence. For the Nordics, once the world’s most vocal advocates for nuclear disarmament, the recent transition to a formal reliance on nuclear deterrence, and primarily U.S. extended deterrence, has been a profound strategic coming of age. Yet this pivot has birthed a unique dilemma: These states have anchored their survival to NATO’s nuclear posture at the exact moment the U.S. National Defense Strategy has begun to increasingly prioritize domestic interests over international commitments. 

Chernobyl’s forgotten nuclear lessons 

The Economist 

“I saw it for the first time in 1972,” Natalia Oliinychenko says, looking at Chernobyl’s nuclear power plant; “it was amazing and so modern.” ... She met her husband at the plant. He was on shift when reactor four exploded in 1986. ... The subsequent cover-up turned the power station from a symbol of ingenuity into one of Soviet dysfunction. Four decades later the plant faces new challenges. It stands in a war zone in what is now Ukraine. For a month in 2022 the plant was occupied by Russia in a move that demonstrated a blatant disregard for nuclear safety; a disaster was avoided only narrowly. Both recent years and the plant’s history show the dangers nuclear power can pose in the wrong hands.