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Nuclear arms control: perspective from arms control expert Kelsey Davenport
Arms control expert Kelsey Davenport joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to talk about the world's long fascination with nuclear weapons and how close we still remain to all-out nuclear war. Today's nuclear threat is not about who has the most nukes, it's about who has the smartest ones. Davenport addresses the question: Do nuclear weapons keep us safe?
Watch this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer:
To deal with Iran's nuclear program, diplomacy is the only safe option: Kelsey Davenport
Iran now says it wants to return to the nuclear negotiating table with the US. For nuclear weapons expert Kelsey Davenport, that's still the best possible option for both sides because it'll put the breaks on the atomic program and give the Iranians some badly needed US economic sanctions relief. Diplomacy, she says, is always the best way because when the US and Israel have tried cyber-espionage and killing Iran's nuclear scientists, it's resulted in the Iranians doing exactly what they're not supposed to under the terms of the 2015 deal. "All options are on the table [and] those options are on the table, but they're not good options." She spoke in an interview with Ian Bremmer on an episode of GZERO World.
Watch the episode: Nuclear weapons: more dangerous than ever?
Nuclear nonproliferation has worked so far, but watch out for those questioning it — arms control expert
Nuclear nonproliferation treaties have been a success at stopping the atomic club from growing further by discouraging new membership, but nuclear weapons expert Kelsey Davenport says the slow pace of disarmament "is causing some states to begin to question that bargain." Although it's unlikely that nuke-curious countries will actually get the bomb because it costs too much time, money and resources, Davenport told Ian Bremmer on GZERO World that she believes that simply questioning the benefits of nonproliferation creates a real risk that must be "monitored and mitigated."
Watch the episode: Nuclear weapons: more dangerous than ever?
Should we still be worried about the nuclear threat?
Everyone loves to say that nuclear weapons are so destructive that they've kept us all safe for decades. But, have they? Nukes expert Kelsey Davenport recalls how during the Cold War the US and the Soviet Union came very close to attacking each other with nukes, and America once almost accidentally detonated a nuke on its own soil. "We've really been quite lucky to have avoided an intentional or accidental nuclear exchange at this point. And my fear is that one day, our luck is going to run out." Despite all that, Davenport says nukes no longer make headlines because they feel "very abstract" for people. Davenport spoke with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
Watch the episode: Nuclear weapons: more dangerous than ever?
Nuclear weapons: more dangerous than ever?
In recent years, as nuclear disarmament worldwide has slowed to a crawl, world powers are engaging in a new kind of arms race: a technological one. Today's nuclear threat is not about who has the most nukes, it's about who has the smartest ones. Arms control expert Kelsey Davenport joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World to talk about the world's long fascination with these horrible weapons and how close we still remain to all-out nuclear war.
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Podcast: Do nuclear weapons keep us safe? An arms control expert weighs in
Listen: Arms control expert Kelsey Davenport joins Ian Bremmer on the GZERO World podcast to talk about the world's long fascination with nuclear weapons and how close we still remain to all-out nuclear war. Today's nuclear threat is not about who has the most nukes, it's about who has the smartest ones. Davenport addresses the question: Do nuclear weapons keep us safe?
Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.
The new nuclear arms race: Smarter, faster nukes
There's a lot of talk about nukes these days — but not about Cold War-era massive arsenals and mutually assured destruction. Nuclear weapons expert Kelsey Davenport says the risk of something going horribly wrong is rising because countries like China or Russia are developing smaller warheads and high-tech delivery systems such as hypersonic missiles, which traditional arms control agreements don't take into account. "We have to be more creative than thinking just about the numbers," she explains, adding that what's more destabilizing is countries investing in nukes that are so nimble and travel so fast they can penetrate US defense systems. Watch her interview with Ian Bremmer on the upcoming episode of GZERO World on US public television - check local listings.
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