The president of the 2026 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference says continued engagement among the five recognized nuclear-weapon states is critical to reducing risks and preserving prospects for future arms control progress amid growing geopolitical tensions.
Speaking at the Arms Control Association’s annual meeting, Vietnam’s United Nations Ambassador Do Hung Viet said disagreements among China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States were evident throughout the 2025 NPT Review Conference. Despite those divisions, he said the five nations shared an increasing interest in nuclear risk reduction. The nations also want to define how they would engage with one another moving forward.
“Amid very heightened strategic competition, there are signs of a renewed push,” Viet said, warning that the risk of nuclear confrontation is higher than it has been in decades.
Viet acknowledged that longstanding differences between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states remain unresolved. He said the five nuclear powers were often reluctant to accept proposals supported by a majority of NPT member states, including measures related to humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and disarmament obligations.
Still, Viet argued that emerging areas of convergence should not be overlooked.
“If we are to identify where progress remains politically possible in the few years ahead, we must tap into this dynamic,” he said, calling for mechanisms that foster communication, improve understanding of national intentions and help prevent escalation.
Viet also urged greater transparency from the nuclear powers, saying dialogue among the five states should be accompanied by broader engagement with the international community on nuclear policies, doctrines and NPT commitments.
While describing such steps as modest, Viet said sustained dialogue remains indispensable.
“These understandings should be nurtured with patience, with realism and with care,” Viet said, “because sustained dialogue remains the indispensable foundation for any future progress.”