Non-Proliferation in an “Age of Nuclear Weapons”: Challenges and Prospects

Geopolitical tensions, spread of conflicts, and an increased reliance on nuclear weapons are leading, in many countries, to a renewed debate about the desirability to develop national nuclear programmes. Those states have refrained so far from embarking on such developments, mostly out of respect for the non-proliferation norm, fear of the economic and political consequences, and to ensure the preservation of extended deterrence. The recent French assessment that its nuclear policy could contribute to increase incentives to respect the NPT within Europe feeds this logic. In the French mindset, thinking deterrence with a European dimension and pooling nuclear and conventional resources from different partners can significantly contribute to European security and makes proliferation detrimental to this overarching goal.