Global Nuclear Order
- With the S, it was made in the shadow of the Cold War. and the USSR, who led the socialist and western blocs, respectively.
GNO Requirement:
- Bilateral arrangements were required by two nuclear nations to keep tensions from reaching a nuclear tip.
- Because nuclear weapons are harmful, there should be restrictions on their proliferation.
- The GNO was formed by this convergence.
USSR and US bilateral actions for GNO:
- In 1963, a hotline was constructed to facilitate direct communication between leaders.
- The hotline, which was eventually transformed into centres for reducing nuclear risk
- talks on arms control as the two nuclear-armed superpowers attempted to curb their race to acquire nuclear weapons and preserve strategic stability.
- The United States and the Soviet Union started multilateral talks on a treaty to stop the spread of nuclear weapons in Geneva in 1965 in an effort to prevent proliferation.
- The Treaty on Nuclear Non-Proliferation (NPT) became available for signature.
- India declined to ratify the NPT.
- India carried out a peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE) underground in 1974.
Benefits of GNO:
- Since 1945, nuclear weapons have been prohibited.
- The mechanism of U.S.-USSR armaments control contributed to maintaining the taboo
- 75 years into the nuclear era, humanity has managed to avoid blowing itself up.
- Non-proliferation has succeeded: in spite of ominous forecasts that by the 1970s, over 20 nations will have nuclear weapons
- Since then, only four nations—India, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan—have achieved nuclear weapons status.
- Notwithstanding the conclusion of the Cold War, non-proliferation remained a common goal.
- Russia and the United States of America collaborated to guarantee the denuclearization of Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, which were home to Soviet nuclear weapons and had some capability.
Reaction to the nuclear test by India:
- A series of discussions was held in London by seven countries: the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan, and West Germany.
- In order to guarantee that nuclear technology transmitted for peaceful purposes is not used for PNEs, ad hoc export controls were desperately needed.
- Despite the Indo-Soviet Friendship Treaty having been signed by the Soviet Union and India in 1971
- The USSR was a founding member of the London Club and dedicated to maintaining the GNO.
NSG, or the Nuclear Suppliers Group:
- Afterwards, the London Club changed its name to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
- There are now 48 countries in it.
- They follow standard operating procedures for exporting nuclear and associated dual-use goods, machinery, and technology.
The Nuclear Race:
- The USSR-US did not end as a result of arms control. nuclear war
- From 28,000 bombs in 1962 to over 65,000 bombs in the early 1980s, their arsenals increased.
- There are currently less than 12,000 bombs in the U.S. and Soviet arsenals, a dramatic decrease since the late 1980s.
What worries are these?
- The United States left the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002.
- citing Russia’s alleged violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019.
- The remaining contract, known as New START, expires in 2026.
- In order to put the CTBT on par with the US, Russia de-ratified it.
- causing alarm on the restart of nuclear testing.
What distinguishes the US-China rivalry from the Cold War?
- China is becoming more assertive and is looking to reclaim its influence both locally and internationally.
- The two economies are strongly entwined.
- China is a peer competitor in both technology and the economy.
- The United States’ naval presence in the South and East China Seas has caused resentment in China.
- ever since the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis.
- Its missile and naval capabilities have been progressively increased.
The Way Ahead:
- Because of their massive arsenals, the two nuclear hegemons shared the idea of “strategic stability,” which was predicated on assured second strike capability.
- The United States is currently dealing with two nuclear peer rivals that are looking into new uses for more practical weapons.
- Nuclear fears have been reignited by Russia’s nuclear sabre rattling to warn the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation against escalation in Ukraine.
- The technology for nuclear weapons is seventy-five years old. The United States has always approached policy with a pragmatic bent.
- The NPT community is concerned about the recent nuclear submarine AUKUS contract (Australia, U.S., U.K.) with Australia, a non-nuclear weapon state.
- According to recent opinion surveys, 40% of respondents favour the return of US nuclear weapons, which were removed from American soil in 1991, and 70% favour building a national nuclear deterrent.
