With geopolitical tensions increasing around the world, nuclear powers are modernizing their arsenals, researchers said Monday, urging world leaders to “ take a step back and think “.
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“ Not since the Cold War have nuclear weapons played such an important role in international relations “, declared the director of the program on weapons of mass destruction at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri)Wilfred Wan.
The nine nuclear-weapon states – Russia, the United States, France, IndiaChina, Israel, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and North Korea – have all modernized their nuclear arsenals and several of them deployed new systems in 2023.
As of January, of the approximately 12,121 nuclear warheads in existence worldwide, approximately 9,585 were available for potential use. Around 2,100 of them were kept in a state of “ high operational alert » for ballistic missiles.
“One of the most dangerous periods in human history »
Almost all of these nuclear warheads belong to Russia and the United States, which alone possess 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons. For the first time, Sipri also estimates that China holds “ some warheads on high operational alert “, that is to say ready to be used immediately.
“ We are currently living through one of the most dangerous times in human history. “, warned Dan Smith, director of Sipri. “ The sources of instability are numerous: political rivalries, economic inequalities, ecological disturbances, acceleration of the arms race. The abyss awaits us and it is time for the great powers to step back and reflect. Preferably together. »
In February 2023, Russia announced that it would suspend its participation in the New START treaty – “ the last control treaty (…) limiting the strategic nuclear forces of Russia and the United States “. Sipri also noted that Moscow conducted exercises involving tactical nuclear weapons on the Ukrainian border in May 2024.
Even if “ the total number of nuclear warheads continues to decline as Cold War-era weapons are gradually dismantled ”, an increase in “ number of operational nuclear warheads » is observed from year to year by the nuclear powers, lamented the director of Sipri. He added that this trend would continue and “ probably speed up ” in the years to come.
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