The challenges and prospects of regional security architecture in Europe, Middle East and East Asia were in focus as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate today, with delegates presenting contrasting views on nuclear deterrence, non-proliferation and the humanitarian dimensions of nuclear weapons.
The representative of Ukraine recalled that, in 1994, his country made “the historic decision” to relinquish the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances from the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, and to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a non-nuclear-weapon State.
Citing Moscow’s subsequent aggression against Kyiv, nuclear threats and revised doctrine, which expanded the circumstances under which it could use nuclear weapons first, he said: “The deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, joint Russian-Belarusian nuclear exercises and Moscow’s persistent efforts to promote the perception that it would prevail in any nuclear escalation have further aggravated the security situation in Europe.” The international community must make it unequivocally clear to the Kremlin that nuclear threats are unacceptable and must end immediately, he urged.
North Macedonia views European Union enlargement as “an investment in regional peace and stability”, that country’s delegate said. A credible, merit-based enlargement process is essential for a more stable, resilient and secure region, she said, expressing commitment to good-neighbourly relations in South-East Europe. Confirming her country’s commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) nuclear-sharing arrangements, she said “credible deterrence remains an important part of our collective defence in today's challenging security environment”.
She then underscored that her country was the first one in the region to sign a security and defence partnership with the European Union. This partnership strengthens cooperation regarding cyber security, hybrid threats, crisis management, counter-terrorism and defence capabilities, she said. “This demonstrates that we are already contributing to European security as we continue our path towards EU [European Union] membership.”
Similarly, Hungary’s representative pledged strong support for NATO's nuclear-sharing arrangements. “The past decades have conclusively demonstrated that nuclear deterrence effectively ensures the security of the Euro-Atlantic region and prevents a senseless arms race in the region,” he said. Broadening the discussion beyond Europe, he expressed concern over nuclear activities of Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, calling on both States to comply with non-proliferation and international treaties.
Tehran and Pyongyang Point to Double Standards
Those calls prompted counterarguments over nuclear-sharing, extended deterrence and the unequal application of non-proliferation standards.
Iran’s delegate said that States invoking proliferation concern against his country have failed to condemn attacks on peaceful International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguarded nuclear facilities. He stressed that nuclear-sharing and extended deterrence perpetuate the rule of nuclear weapons in security doctrines and constitute a violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
He said that five NATO States, including Belgium and Germany, host United States nuclear weapons, while more than 30 countries remain under Washington, D.C.’s, extended nuclear deterrence. “These double standards are particularly evident in the Middle East, where the Israeli regime continues expanding its arsenal, including weapons of mass destruction, outside a comprehensive international verification regime, while other States face coercive pressure in the name of non-proliferation,” he underscored.
In the same vein, the delegate for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea observed that, by providing its allies with a nuclear umbrella, the United States is hellbent on establishing geopolitical encirclement against its strategic rival, while simultaneously intensifying bloc-based confrontation.
“The United States has encouraged and led NATO, the world's largest military alliance, to expand its influence into Asia-Pacific region,” he continued, adding that the reckless expansion of NATO in Europe towards the East has created the worst regional security crisis and the Middle East has become the bloody theatre with genocide. “Japan, a defeated country in Asia, is openly transforming itself into a war-capable State,” he said, declaring that Pyongyang is committed to consolidating its war deterrent with nuclear forces at its core.
Delegates Call for Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Whole World
Joining growing calls for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to stop its nuclear and missile activities, Japan’s representative also expressed concern over Pyongyang’s military cooperation with Moscow. “The tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated,” she emphasized, adding that her country assigned to itself the mission of taking the lead in international efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.
Pointing to an established regional alternative to nuclear deterrence, Suriname’s delegate highlighted her region’s nuclear-weapon-free zone under the Treaty of Tlatelolco. “Latin America and the Caribbean have demonstrated that regional security can be built on dialogue, cooperation and mutual trust, rather than on weapons of mass destruction,” she said.
Similarly, the representative of Mongolia said that lasting peace and security are best achieved through diplomacy, mutual restraint and respect for international law and effective multilateral cooperation. “At a time when regional security challenges remain complex and mutual trust is increasingly difficult to build, the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue demonstrates the value of sustained engagement and inclusive dialogue,” he stressed.
While sharing the goal of nuclear disarmament, India approached it from the standpoint of minimum deterrence. Its delegate observed that the world’s arms control and disarmament architecture is under increasing strain. “As a responsible nuclear-weapon State, India is committed to a policy of credible minimum deterrence with the posture of no first use and non-use against non-nuclear-weapon States,” he declared, confirming the country’s commitment to universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament.
Speakers Highlight Humanitarian Consequences of Wars and Nuclear Activities
Moving from security doctrines to their human impact, speakers highlighted the enduring humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons and testing.
“For Kiribati,” its delegate said, “the ocean is life; nuclear testing is a wound in the very source of our life.” She noted that, between 1957 and 1962, 33 nuclear tests were conducted near her country’s reefs, lagoons and fishing grounds.
She acknowledged the efforts of the Secretary-General in convening the first international meeting on victim assistance and environmental remediation, which Kiribati co-chairs alongside Kazakhstan. “We look forward to further progress towards the establishment of an international trust fund to support victims of nuclear weapons and affected communities,” she said.
The Permanent Observer for the Holy See warned that integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies into nuclear-related systems heightens the risks surrounding decisions of incalculable consequence. Since the humanitarian and environmental consequences of the use of nuclear weapons would transcend borders and generations, these developments, he said, expose “the flawed logic of nuclear deterrence” as a security model: “A system that relies on the credible threat of catastrophic destruction is vulnerable to escalation and miscalculation.”