The international system put in place to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons has faced major challenges in recent years, with unstable governments and non-state actors accelerating their efforts to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities. The United States has long been a leader of international efforts to limit the spread of such weapons, through the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and other international agreements. President Trump has expressed skepticism about arms limitation agreements, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program and the New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia. He has said that the U.S. "must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes."
This live online briefing, the seventh in the Society's series on "International Law and the Trump Administration," will focus on the extent to which international law has been successful in containing the spread of nuclear weapons; the role that the U.S. has played in such efforts; and the current challenges posed by the efforts of both state and non-state actors to acquire nuclear capabilities.
Speakers
- Stephen Rademaker, Covington & Burling, former assistant secretary of state, Bureau of Arms Control and Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, U.S. Department of State
- Lynn Rusten, Nuclear Threat Initiative, former White House National Security Council staff and chief of staff, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, U.S. Department of State
- David Koplow (moderator), Georgetown University Law Center, former special counsel for Arms Control, Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense
Will be live streamed. Register at www.asil.org/trump.