G7 countries insisted today on the crucial role of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) just days before its review conference, expressing concern over the strengthening of Russia’s and China’s arsenals and calling on the US to play a stabilizing role.
“We are concerned about the significant strengthening and modernization of the nuclear arsenals of China and Russia. Specific risk reduction measures must be implemented”the G7 Directors’ Group on Non-Proliferation, which includes diplomats responsible for the issue, said in a statement.
The statement comes just ahead of a month-long Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference that begins Monday in New York.
In an increasingly tense general context, marked by the wars in Iran and Ukraine, the G7 states that they are committed to “to work with all States Parties to the Treaty to ensure the success of the 2026 Review Conference and to seek the broadest possible consensus on measures aimed at strengthening the status of the TNP on its three pillars”which is disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of the atom.
“We strongly encourage the US to continue working on multilateral strategic stability,” the G7 adds.
Trump, known to be averse to major multilateral treaties, called for a new three-day nuclear deal between the US, Russia and China, and threatened to resume nuclear tests after accusing China of conducting secret tests.
The review conference will last a month in an attempt to find consensus to keep the TNP alive.
During the last two editions, the treaty’s 191 states and parties failed to adopt a final text, and this will likely continue, according to observers.
