Head of Programme on Nuclear and Multilateral Disarmament at the European Leadership Network @theeln.bsky.social, based in Berlin. WMD elimination through arms control, disarmament, nonproliferation. Personal views only.
Rather than dropping hints about nuclear weapons build-up in TV documentaries and invent word games about weapons of mass destruction as "trump cards", China should act responsibly by providing real transparency about the goals behind its nuclear weapons programme. www.scmp.com/news/china/m...
China signals buildout of nuclear missile silos for ‘strategic trump cards’CCTV documentary interview suggests the construction was for the DF-5 series of intercontinental ballistic missiles.www.scmp.com"The General Staff highlighted that the Engels airfield is a primary base for Russian strategic aviation, housing Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers regularly used to launch missile attacks against Ukrainian territory." www.kyivpost.com/post/81568
Ukraine Confirms Striking Russian Strategic Bomber Base in EngelsThe Ukrainian military confirmed overnight strikes on the Engels bomber base, while long-range drones hit a refinery in Bashkortostan 1,700 km (1,056 miles) away.www.kyivpost.com1/2 Interesting: in response to Parliamentary questions from far-right #noAfD on use of #AI in arms control, German government states that it is "currently" not using AI or machine learning tools "directly or indirectly" for arms control or export control purposes. www.bundestag.de/presse/hib/k...
KI bislang nicht in Rüstungskontrolle eiBerlin: (hib/SCR) Die Bundesregierung hat bislang keine Systeme künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) oder Verfahren maschinellen Lernens direkt oder indirekt in der Rüstungs- oder Exportkontrolle...www.bundestag.de"Arctic states should close governance gap between climate change, geopolitical competition, nuclear risks through an Arctic risk-reduction dialogue." Great piece by @theeln.bsky.social colleague @nikitagryazin.bsky.social and @irenmarinova.bsky.social in @thebulletin.org: thebulletin.org?p=132932
Climate change exacerbates nuclear risks in the Arctic. And we are not readyClimate change is physically altering the operational environment of nuclear deterrence in the Arctic, but the institutions capable of managing these risks are fragmented and frozen in place.thebulletin.orgTrue, @economist.com: "Should nuclear war begin, powers size of France (or Britain), know there is good chance they won't survive." Not true: Should nuclear war begin, powers with more nuclear weapons than France or UK have chance of survival. #nuclearwarcantbewon www.economist.com/internationa...
Can French nukes protect Europe if Donald Trump walks away?Europeans are keen on nuclear collaboration with Emmanuel Macron. What if Marine Le Pen becomes president?www.economist.com
This Is Fine Dog Meme in Burning HouseALT: This Is Fine Dog Meme in Burning Housestatic.klipy.comStiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)Die Überprüfungskonferenz des Nuklearen Nichtverbreitungsvertrags NPT ist 2026 zum dritten Mal in Folge gescheitert. Das ist aber noch kein Todesurteil für die globale Nuklearordnung, so @liviuhorovitz.bsky.social & Jonas Schneider @swp-intsecurity.bsky.social. www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/...
Flashbacks of the first Trump term and on a positive note: Chaos in the Trump administration seems to have reached a point where it can't even get its disruptive policies implemented.
James CameronHow the US-Saudi nuclear pact came unstuck: basically Trump saw some criticism on Fox that he didn't like and decided to attach normalization of relations with Israel as a condition.
Oh boy. I wonder what the Saudis have to say about all that. But it should give members of Congress a set of interesting questions to ask. 🍿
ShipwreckTrump on Saudi Nuke deal:
I wrote a piece for @thebulletin.org arguing that France's new non-nuclear partners should engage on #forwarddeterrence collectively, to pursue their own interests vis-à-vis Paris more effectively and increase ownership and inclusiveness of the French initiative: thebulletin.org/2026/07/forw...
Forward deterrence: What's (not) in it for France's partnersFour months after President Macron pitched a European "forward deterrence" concept, uneven bilateral terms and strict French nuclear autonomy threaten to leave non-nuclear allies with little say. To p...thebulletin.orgRationalize this: Opening the doors to nuclear proliferation on one side of the Gulf, while justifying war as a counterproliferation measure on the other side of the Gulf. 🤷♂️ (And you can't use the "democracy vs. autocracy" line in this case.)
CNNThe Trump administration has tentatively agreed to allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium without enacting international safeguards intended to prevent nuclear weapons development, according to sources familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by CNN. https://cnn.it/4fhCFWc
From the man who ordered the killing of Iran's supreme leader. 🤷♂️
POLITICO EuropeU.S. President Donald Trump said that the American military stood ready to “completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran” in response to threats to his life.
Intriguing and important Chinese intervention, if true: "It seems to me that this was the first time China ... directly responded in an ultimatum-like form — that there can be no thought whatsoever of using nuclear weapons,” Zelenskyy said. (Not the first time, though.) www.politico.eu?p=8745912
Zelenskyy: China urged Putin not to use nuclear weapons in UkraineThe Ukrainian president said he learned of Beijing’s intervention from European leaders at the NATO summit in Ankara.www.politico.euFantastic piece by @jackkennedy.ie in @thebulletin.org on US attempts to use nuclear threats in its war against Iran: "Trump’s failure to coerce Tehran and his ultimate concession in the war, his attempt will have consequences—all of them negative." thebulletin.org?p=132469
Why Trump's nuclear blackmail of Iran failed spectacularlyIn April, despite President Trump's implicit nuclear blackmail by threatening that "a whole civilization will die tonight," Tehran did not capitulate. Trump's failure shows that nuclear threats lose c...thebulletin.orgGutes Streitgespräch zwischen Max Mutschler und @carlomasala1.bsky.social in @taz.de (mit Punktsieg Max Mutschler 😉) taz.de/Streitgespra...
Streitgespräch über Aufrüstung: „Europa sollte stärker werden als Russland.“ – „Da widerspreche ich.“Ist die Warnung vor einem Angriff auf Nato-Gebiet alarmistisch? Müssen wir so massiv aufrüsten? Ein Streitgespräch mit Carlo Masala und Max Mutschler.taz.deJust wishing that Trump's violations of international law and human rights would produce half the attention and European outrage that his manipulation of football world cup is getting. That being said: Go, #UEFA! ⚽🕊️
Mark ChadbournThanks to Trump, “the integrity of the game is at stake”. #ETTD
1/3 "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others." This Groucho Marx quote best describes Germany's new foreign policy, according to @aussenminister.diplo.de. In a recent interview, Wadephul argues that ... www.brainyquote.com/quotes/grouc...
Groucho Marx Quotes"Those are my principles, and if you don't like..." - Groucho Marx quotes from BrainyQuote.comwww.brainyquote.com1/2 Dear @nytimes.com (and other media): Iran initially has not "blocked the inspectors from getting access to its nuclear facilities" as a result of Israeli and US June 2025 attacks. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/22/w...
Vance Says Iran Will Allow Nuclear Watchdog to Restart Inspectionswww.nytimes.com