Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons, knowledge, and materials. Watchdog groups aim to reduce accessibility to prevent nuclear war and destruction. Several countries have pursued nuclear technology, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been signed by 189 countries. Disagreement exists on how to prevent proliferation, with the US focusing on preventing acquisition by “rogue states” and other countries emphasizing disarmament.
Nuclear proliferation is the growing worldwide availability of nuclear weapons, nuclear knowledge, and nuclear materials such as enriched uranium or plutonium. It has long been a declared concern of politicians and advocates of nuclear arms control, although the actual effort devoted to such goals has varied. Nuclear weapon technology was first developed by the US Manhattan Project in July 1945.
Watchdog groups seek to minimize the accessibility of nuclear weapons, materials, and knowledge in an effort to reduce the likelihood of nuclear war and/or take steps towards the complete abandonment of nuclear weapons. Most calculations have shown that even a limited nuclear war could kill millions and destroy agriculture worldwide, while an all-out nuclear war could kill hundreds of millions and end civilization as we know it.
Since nuclear weapons were developed in 1945, about a dozen countries have pursued the technology. After the US Trinity atomic bomb, the former Soviet Union achieved success in 1949 (RDS-1), followed by the United Kingdom in 1952 (Hurricane), France in 1960 (Gerboise Bleue), China in 1964 ( 596), India in 1974 (Smiling Buddha), Pakistan in 1998 (Chagai-I), and North Korea in 2006 (The Return of Kim-Il Sung). Israel likely developed nuclear weapons in 1979 (probably in connection with the Vela incident) and the country is thought to possess nuclear weapons, but is not stated. Through the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, several smaller states (Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan) acquired nuclear materials, weapons and knowledge.
Thought on the prevention of nuclear proliferation is strongly dictated and influenced by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, opened for signature on July 1, 1968 and since then signed by 189 countries, including the five “official” nuclear weapon states: the USA, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. The few countries that have not signed the treaty include Israel, Pakistan, India and Myanmar. Many countries and observers have argued that the treaty is ineffective, in part because it is biased against some countries in that some are allowed nuclear weapons and some are not. Also under discussion is the claim by NATO countries, especially the United States, that the treaty would be suspended in the event of a “general war”, which appears to render the treaty moot with respect to one of the main problems it was created to solve. solve .
There is great disagreement in the international community about how nuclear non-proliferation efforts should move forward. The United States emphasizes preventing the acquisition of nuclear weapons by so-called “rogue states” such as North Korea and Iran, while most other countries emphasize the need for existing nuclear powers to disarm and reduce own stocks. In light of the continuing tensions between Russia and NATO, this seems unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future.
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