Mr. Trump’s bullying and economic warfare has broken trust, and without trust NATO as a nuclear alliance is hollowed out. Depending on whether the new security architecture of Europe privileges nuclear deterrence, thinking about nuclear weapons will either be updated to reflect the lessons of the 80 years since a nuclear weapon was last detonated, or continue to echo conversations that took place when the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) separated the world into nuclear haves and have-nots. Yet, even as nuclear states were racing to stockpile warheads, a taboo on nuclear use was gaining strength. And now, after a sharp reduction in nuclear stockpiles between the U.S. and Russia, the pendulum may be swinging back. Editorial | Neo-colonial shadows: on Trump, Greenland and his Davos talkChina, Russia and the U.S. are ambitiously modernising their nuclear stockpiles.

Source: The Hindu February 05, 2026 07:38 UTC