| This week, Anna Hood examines whether Articles I and II of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) permit nuclear sharing. We also have two upcoming events: Joel Wit discusses his new book, Fallout: The Inside Story of America’s Failure to Disarm North Korea, and George Perkovich and Anna Hood lead a webinar on the international legality of nuclear threats and the need to strengthen legal frameworks against nuclear use.
Finally, we highlight recent activities from our network, including analysis of the expiration of New START, shifts in the global strategic order, Vietnam’s use of geography and infrastructure for geopolitical influence, and more. |
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The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty’s Gordian Knot: The Intractable Problem of the Legality of Nuclear Sharing
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Anna Hood examines whether Articles I and II of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) permit nuclear sharing. Challenging previous research, she argues that the ordinary meaning of these articles, the NPT’s travaux préparatoires, and subsequent state practice reveal deep ambiguity on the question. While Articles I and II offer little definitive guidance, she suggests that the disarmament obligation in Article VI may provide grounds to challenge the legality of nuclear sharing arrangements.
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We invite you to a special online discussion with Joel Wit on his new book, Fallout: The Inside Story of America’s Failure to Disarm North Korea (26 February 2026, 11am KST). Drawing on decades of first-hand experience in US–DPRK negotiations, Wit traces the history of American nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang, and what it means for the prospects of another Trump–Kim summit. The session will be moderated by Michelle Ye Hee Lee, the Washington Post’s Tokyo/Seoul bureau chief.
The event is co-hosted by APLN, the Institute of North Korean Studies at Yonsei University, and the Korea Peace Forum. |
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Join us for a webinar examining the legal and policy dimensions of nuclear threats (24 February, 9am KST). The discussion will centre on a joint paper by Monique Cormier and Anna Hood, “‘All Options are on the Table’: Assessing the International Legality of Nuclear Threats,” which surveys historical cases across eight decades to underscore the urgent need to strengthen international legal frameworks against nuclear threats.
The webinar will feature Anna Hood and George Perkovich in discussion, moderated by APLN member Marianne Hanson. APLN member Kazuko Hikawa will offer commentary, alongside Carrie McDougall, Paul Davis, and Andy Shichen Tian. Opening remarks will be delivered by Peter Hayes, APLN member and Director of the Nautilus Institute.
The event is co-hosted by APLN, the Nautilus Institute, and Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program. |
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APLN has over 170 members from 24 countries in the Asia-Pacific.
Each week, we feature their latest contributions
to global and regional security debates.
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| Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore’s former Ambassador to the United Nations and Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore, wrote for Foreign Affairs, analysing the West’s continued inability to accommodate a rising Asia and the Global South. |
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| Marianne Hanson, Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland, wrote for Pearls and Irritations, warning that with New START expired and arms control eroding, the world faces heightened nuclear risks. She stressed that international law and treaties like the TPNW can guide disarmament, but meaningful action requires urgent political will from major powers—especially the US and Russia. |
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| Hoang Thi Ha, Senior Fellow and Co-coordinator of the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, pointed out that, although Vietnam is often portrayed as losing influence in Laos and Cambodia to China, the construction of key infrastructure gives Hanoi some measure of agency. |
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| C Uday Bhaskar, Director of the Society for Policy Studies (SPS), New Delhi, discussed whether the Munich Security Conference reflects a great divide or a transformation in the global strategic order, and debated whether the US is interested in repairing transatlantic trust, as well as what China may take away from divisions among Western allies. |
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