Statement from Ernest J. Moniz and Sam Nunn on P5 Statement on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races

“We welcome the January 3, 2022 Joint Statement from the leaders of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States committing to Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races. In particular, we applaud their affirmation that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” Today’s clear and direct statement represents the first time all five of the world’s recognized nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) have together affirmed this fundamental principle, establishing an important foundation for reinvigorated efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict.

Leaders now must instruct their governments to take concrete steps to this end, including:

• Accelerating individual and collective efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear use by strengthening safeguards that could prevent unauthorized, inadvertent or mistaken use of a nuclear weapon (“fail-safe”);
• Expanding and deepening dialogue on risk reduction in bilateral and multilateral channels;
• Reducing the role of nuclear weapons in national security doctrines and postures; and
• Further reducing nuclear arsenals, beginning with negotiations and agreement between the United States and Russia on a successor to New START that further limits and reduces the arsenals of both.

While it is unfortunate that the tenth NPT Review Conference was postponed again due to the global pandemic, the delay provides additional time for the NPT nuclear-weapon states – and all states parties to this crucial Treaty – to continue working to advance the goals of the NPT and ensure a successful Review Conference. We urge the nuclear-weapon states to take advantage of this opportunity by building on today’s positive statement and implementing tangible measures to reduce the risk of conflict and arms races and strengthen the foundation for further nuclear reductions.”

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