Policy briefs
26 March 2020

Nuclear risk reduction: How could the EU contribute?

A realistic approach for the EU towards nuclear risk reduction

US nuclear weapons test in Nevada in 1957, US Government / Flickr

In these current times of increasing geopolitical tensions, a renewed nuclear arms race and decreasing trust in multilateralism, the prospects for nuclear arms control and disarmament initiatives are very challenging. Nevertheless, in some multilateral forums relatively broad support has recently emerged for what is often called ‘nuclear risk reduction’ or ‘strategic risk reduction’: measures contributing to limiting the risk that nuclear weapons will ever be used, either intentionally or by accident. Nuclear risk reduction is not an alternative to nuclear disarmament, but is rather an interim measure to decrease the risks of nuclear weapons as long as they have not been eliminated.

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