Prioritising denuclearisation

It is deeply alarming that US President Donald Trump has once again revived the rhetoric of nuclear brinkmanship by suggesting that America should resume nuclear weapons testing - a practice abandoned more than two and a half decades ago. Whether such claims hold any factual basis or not, the mere notion of reigniting nuclear testing threatens to unravel decades of painstaking global progress toward denuclearisation.

The world learned, often tragically, that nuclear weapons testing is a catastrophic act against humanity and the environment. From the irradiated islands of the Pacific to the poisoned steppes of Kazakhstan, the scars of the nuclear age remain visible. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), though not yet universally ratified, was born out of a global consensus that the cycle of tests and retaliation must end. Trump's suggestion therefore is a reckless justification that ignores this consensus and risks triggering a domino effect of renewed nuclear competition. The principle of deterrence, once the cornerstone of Cold War strategy, cannot be allowed to morph into an excuse for escalation. While Trump claims to support denuclearisation, his statements expose the contradictions in modern nuclear policy - one that simultaneously calls for disarmament while justifying stockpile expansion and testing. True denuclearisation cannot occur through demonstrations of strength as it requires transparency and trust-building mechanisms - values that the international system already struggles to uphold.

In the midst of global volatility, the world cannot afford to be dragged into a renewed arms race driven by the insecurities of global powers. The path forward lies not in mirroring the provocations of larger states but in leading through diplomacy and adherence to global norms of non-proliferation. Denuclearisation must not remain a slogan but become an actionable commitment.