Non-Proliferation

The International Atomic Energy Agency ceremonially opened a $150-million facility in Kazakhstan to store and distribute nuclear-power fuel for peaceful uses, the United Nations-chartered body announced Tuesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank Storage Facility at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk will eventually distribute LEU to IAEA member states that […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Tuesday it helped remove 1 kilogram of Chinese highly enriched uranium from Ghana, clearing the last cache of such nuclear weapon-usable material out of the West African nation. The semiautonomous Department of Energy agency said in a press release it cooperated with Ghana, China, and the International Atomic […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Tuesday it helped remove 1 kilogram of Chinese highly enriched uranium from Ghana, clearing the last cache of such nuclear weapon-usable material out of the West African nation. The semiautonomous Department of Energy agency said in a press release it cooperated with Ghana, China, and the International Atomic Energy […]

The International Atomic Energy Agency ceremonially opened a $150-million facility in Kazakhstan to store and distribute nuclear-power fuel for peaceful uses, the United Nations-chartered body announced Tuesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank Storage Facility at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant in Ust-Kamenogorsk will eventually distribute LEU to IAEA member states that […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is allowing the Energy Department to send Belgium only about half the highly enriched uranium by weight the country sought for production of medical isotopes, according to a letter the commission sent to a group of nonproliferation advocates who opposed the transfer. An export license filed by DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear […]

A United Nations treaty that seeks to ban nuclear weapons is legally unsound and would make the world less safe, a senior White House nuclear-security official said Tuesday during an unapologetically blunt address to domestic and international policy wonks at a Washington think-tank. The United Nations voted July 7 to adopt the Treaty on the […]

A United Nations treaty that seeks to ban nuclear weapons is legally unsound and would make the world less safe, a senior White House nuclear-security official said Tuesday during an unapologetically blunt address to domestic and international policy wonks at a Washington think-tank. The United Nations voted July 7 to adopt the Treaty on the […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is allowing the Energy Department to send Belgium only about half the highly enriched uranium by weight the country sought for production of medical isotopes, according to a letter the commission sent to a group of nonproliferation advocates who opposed the transfer. An export license filed by DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in July sent a small delegation to Turkey to train the Turkish National Police to use radiation detectors, the agency said in a mid-August press release. “The recently completed training with the Turkish National Police is an important step toward expanding our relationship with a key partner in a strategically […]

A “tit-for-tat” response to Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty may not be the best option for the United States, Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters during the Deterrence Symposium in Omaha, Neb. U.S. officials have concluded that Russia deployed a ground-launched nuclear-capable […]

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, along with technical experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, China, and Ghana, last week finished converting Ghana’s GHARR-1 miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR) to run on low-enriched uranium fuel rather than highly enriched uranium. The NNSA said in a Wednesday announcement that this work, part of its effort to […]

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, along with technical experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, China, and Ghana, last week finished converting Ghana’s GHARR-1 miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR) to run on low-enriched uranium fuel rather than highly enriched uranium. The NNSA said in a Wednesday announcement that this work, part of its effort to […]

Senior U.S. and Russian diplomats on Monday pledged the nations to additional meetings of the Bilateral Consultative Commission for the bilateral New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the State Department said Tuesday. U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon Jr. and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov “committed to holding future New START Bilateral Consultative Commission and […]

Several nuclear-weapon states vowed not to support or sign a new nuclear weapon ban treaty after it was adopted by a United Nations conference last week. The U.N. conference on July 7 adopted its final text of the legally binding global prohibition on nuclear weapons following months of negotiations, with 122 nations voting in favor, […]

Lawmakers debated nuclear-weapon-related amendments to the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act Wednesday evening on the House floor, postponing votes for some contentious proposals and adopting one to prohibit funding for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. The House Rules Committee approved this week for floor debate 88 of roughly 400 amendments filed on […]

Several nuclear-weapon states vowed not to support or sign a new nuclear weapon ban treaty after it was adopted by a United Nations conference Friday. The U.N. conference on Friday adopted its final text of the legally binding global nuclear weapons ban following months of negotiations, with 122 nations voting in favor, the Netherlands voting […]

A United Nations conference today adopted its final text of a legally binding global nuclear weapons prohibition following months of negotiations on the document. One hundred and twenty-two nations voted to adopt the treaty, while the Netherlands posted the sole vote in opposition and Singapore abstained. Participants in the negotiations broke into applause after the […]

A United Nations conference on Monday released its final draft text of a legally binding global nuclear weapons prohibition as it concludes its final negotiating session on the document. The U.N. General Assembly last month resumed negotiations on the proposed treaty, after releasing in May a first draft that outlined prohibitions on the use, production, transfer, and […]

As they look to reduce bilateral tensions, the United States and Russia could begin by issuing a joint presidential declaration that a nuclear war is unwinnable and must be avoided at all costs, former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) and onetime top officials from three nations said this week in an open letter to Presidents […]

The U.S. Congress is taking a preliminary tit-for-tat approach to addressing Russia’s breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, calling in new legislation for the Defense Department to start work on its own middle-range missile. There have been reports for years that Russia was in violation of the 1987 treaty signed by the United States […]

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, has introduced legislation that would employ increased sanctions to persuade Russia to come back into compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. But Smith’s bill might already be too limited a step for the panel, where one subcommittee mark of the fiscal 2018 […]

The House Armed Services emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee is recommending full funding of the White House’s budget request for the Defense Department’s Cooperative Threat Reduction program. HASC subcommittees held their first markups this week of the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, including consideration of provisions related to the U.S. nuclear arsenal and other […]

The House Armed Services emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee is recommending full funding of the White House’s budget request for the Defense Department’s Cooperative Threat Reduction program. HASC subcommittees are holding their first markups this week of the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, including consideration of provisions related to the U.S. nuclear arsenal and […]

Nuclear nonproliferation is the most promising area for cooperation between Russia and the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week. Opportunities for cooperation include, “above all, control over non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” Putin said during the annual Direct Line event broadcast on June 15. “We are the biggest nuclear powers and so our […]

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday resumed negotiations on a legally binding global prohibition on nuclear weapons. The body released at the end of May its first draft of the ban treaty, which details prohibitions on the use, production, transfer, and testing of such weapons. The second round of negotiations will continue until July […]

More than 40 Democrats in the House of Representatives have signed a letter to President Donald Trump calling for his administration to reinforce its role in arms control and bolster its nonproliferation efforts as it prepares a Nuclear Posture Review. The June 13 letter, signed by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Barbara Lee […]

More than 40 Democrats in the House of Representatives have signed a letter to President Donald Trump calling for his administration to reinforce its role in arms control and bolster its nonproliferation efforts as it prepares a Nuclear Posture Review. The June 13 letter, signed by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Barbara Lee […]

The United Nations General Assembly is resuming this week negotiations on a legally binding global prohibition on nuclear weapons. The body released at the end of May its first draft of the ban treaty, which details prohibitions on the use, production, transfer, and testing of such weapons. Negotiations resume from June 15 to July 7, […]

The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) convened its biannual plenary meeting last week in Tokyo, Japan, where partner nations committed to continue the work of three nuclear detection, forensics, and response working groups. The initiative, co-chaired by the United States and Russia, is intended to promote international cooperation to strengthen global prevention, detection, […]

A top National Security Council official last week reaffirmed the Donald Trump administration’s commitment to nonproliferation. Despite media reports to the contrary, Trump is committed to pursuing activities to prevent the spread of nuclear and other unconventional weapons, according to Christopher Ford, NSC special assistant to the president and senior director for weapons of mass […]