Europe Should Not Let Nuclear Nonproliferation Die

Jane Darby Menton | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The eleventh review conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) concluded with a whimper rather than a bang on May 22, 2026. Disagreements over language referencing Iran’s nuclear program derailed efforts to produce a consensus outcome… As the curtain drops on another failed review conference, it is worth asking what states hope to achieve from this process going forward. An inability to affirm the most banal tenets of the global nuclear order in an era of rising threats will only fuel allegations of irrelevance, though the counterfactual—a world without any basic commitment to stopping the spread and accumulation of nuclear weapons—is also cold comfort.

What Did the NPT Review Conference Achieve?

Ankit Panda, Kingston Reif, Christopher Ford, Kelsey Davenport, and Astrid Chevreuil | War on the Rocks

The 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) concluded on May 22. Held every five years, the conference offers an opportunity to evaluate the treaty’s implementation, respond to technological and geopolitical developments, and reinforce states’ commitment to the treaty. For the third time in a row, the conference failed to reach consensus on a final document. We asked five experts for their perspectives on what the conference achieved — or failed to achieve.

Scoop: U.S. and Iran reach deal but need Trump's final approval, officials say

Barak Ravid | Axios

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, but President Trump has yet to give his final approval, two U.S. officials and a regional source involved in the mediation efforts tell Axios. The signing of the MOU would be the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since the war started, but a final agreement that tackles Trump's nuclear demands would still require further intensive negotiations.

Report: US to cut strategic bombers and warships available to NATO in a crisis

Markus Wacket, Linda Pasquini, and Reuters | Defense News

The U.S. intends to significantly reduce military contributions available to assist European allies in a crisis, including fighter jets, warships and mid-air refueling aircraft, German news outlet Spiegel reported on Tuesday… According to the Spiegel report, an envoy of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed senior officials from member states on the plan at NATO headquarters in Brussels late last week… The U.S. aims to provide only half the previous number of strategic bombers, the reports said.

Norway becomes ninth country to come under French nuclear deterrence scheme

France24

The leaders of France and Norway said on Wednesday that Oslo will join a Paris-led nuclear deterrence scheme to bolster security on the continent… Under the so-called "forward" nuclear deterrence scheme, those who join will be able to temporarily host French "strategic air forces", which will be able to "spread out across the European continent" to "complicate the calculations of our adversaries", Macron said at the time.

U.S. Seeks to Give Weapons-Grade Plutonium to Start-Ups for Fuel

Brad Plummer | The New York Times

The Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to provide Cold War-era plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads to companies that want to convert the dangerous material into fuel for nuclear power plants. The plan has generated debate and some unease among nonproliferation experts. If finalized, it would mark the first time the U.S. government has made weapons-grade plutonium available to private companies.