The only remaining US-Russia nuclear treaty has expired. Could a new arms race soon accelerate?
[The following article was originally published on 1 February by The Conversation, an independent, nonprofit news organization. It is republished here with permission under a Creative Commons license.]
The New START treaty, the last remaining agreement constraining Russian and US nuclear weapons, lapsed on February 4.
There are no negotiations to extend the terms of the treaty, either. As US President Donald Trump said dismissively in a recent interview, “if it expires, it expires”.
The importance of the New START treaty is hard to overstate. As other nuclear treaties have been abrogated in recent years, this was the only deal left with notification, inspection, verification and treaty compliance mechanisms between Russia and the US. Between them, they possess 87% of the world’s nuclear weapons.
Read more…On the road to nuclear war
On January 27, 2026, the editors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of their famous “Doomsday Clock” to 85 seconds to midnight―the closest setting, since the appearance of the clock in 1946, to nuclear annihilation.
This grim appraisal has impressive evidence to support it.
Read more…Greenland, nuclear weapons, and global security
by Kati Juva
US President Donald Trump is obsessed with Greenland. Fortunately, his demands to possess the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark by hook or by crook have calmed down, at least for a while. Trump has justified his demands by invoking US national security needs, but we all know that his ego, his desire to dominate the Western hemisphere, and the rare minerals under the island’s soil are the real reasons. Denmark’s agreements with the US already allow the American military to do nearly whatever they wish in Greenland.
Read more…It could be a wonderful world
There is a widening gap today between global possibilities and global realities.
The possibilities are enormous, for―thanks to a variety of factors, ranging from increases in knowledge to advances in economic productivity―it’s finally feasible for all of humanity to lead decent and fulfilling lives.
Read more…The IPPNW Statement on the US Intervention in Venezuela
Read the statement in here and below. January 7, 2026.
The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) condemns the military intervention by the United States on January 3, 2026 in Venezuela.
As the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has said, “The US has justified its intervention on the grounds of the Venezuelan government’s longstanding and appalling human rights record, but accountability for human rights violations cannot be achieved by unilateral military intervention in violation of international law.”
Read more…A bold campaign to confront global crises
Although the world is experiencing severe global crises, there are new efforts underway to create a more effective means of coping with them.
The crises are clear enough. They include vast slaughter in horrific wars, worldwide climate catastrophe, massive population displacement, and deepening poverty.
Read more…Nuclear testing, safety, and security
by Kati Juva
The world got alarmed at the end of October when US president Trump ordered the US to resume nuclear tests, ostensibly because China and Russia have been testing. In fact, neither China nor Russia has conducted a nuclear test explosion in decades—Russia declared a unilateral moratorium in 1991 and China has not tested since at least 1996. A global seismic and satellite surveillance system makes it virtually impossible to explode a nuclear warhead undetected.
Read more…“Nothing is more precious than peace”, Reflections from Nagasaki
by Sofia Vitale, Student Member of Physicians for Social Responsibility (USA) and IPPNW
“Nothing is more precious than peace. Nothing brings more happiness. Peace is the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind” (The New Human Revolution, Vol. 1, “Sunrise” Chapter).
Every effort towards peace is ultimately an effort to protect human life and to create a future in which all people can live with dignity and happiness. As Daisaku Ikeda’s words remind us, peace is the foundation of all human progress. These words came alive for me during the 24th IPPNW World Congress in Nagasaki, Japan – a conference that profoundly changed my life.
Read more…Read the full statement here and below. 30 October, 2025.
On October 29, before a meeting in South Korea with Chinese President Xi, President Donald Trump announced on social media that he “instructed the Department of War to start testing [US] Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis” with Russia and China. The post contains various inaccuracies and it is unclear whether he wants to resume nuclear explosive testing — an act the United States, Russia, and China have not undertaken in over 30 years — or continue nuclear-capable missile testing.
As physicians and health professionals, we condemn any and all nuclear weapons testing and de-stabilizing posturing. Regardless of intent, President Trump’s statement is a dangerous escalation that threatens global security and undermines decades of disarmament efforts, including the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Read more…Turning back from the brink of nuclear war
Early this year, legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate introduced resolutions that call upon the U.S. government to lead a global effort to halt and reverse the nuclear arms race. Co-sponsored by 36 members of the House and 5 members of the Senate, H. Res. 317 and S. Res. 323 urge the U.S. government to pursue nuclear disarmament, renounce the first use of nuclear weapons, end sole presidential authority to launch them, cancel plans for new, enhanced nuclear weapons and delivery systems, maintain the current moratorium on nuclear testing explosions, and provide a just economic transition for impacted communities.
Read more…
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