On The TPNW Verification System

Year
2021
Author(s)
Kateryna Pavlova - State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management
Thomas E. Shea - TomSheaNuclear Consulting Services
File Attachment
a346.pdf198.08 KB
Abstract
The Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force on 22 January 2021. By creating a symbiotic collaboration, the United States and the Ukraine could both benefit. We propose they reconsider their initial rejections of the TPNW and how signing now, jointly, could help reduce the risks of nuclear war, affirm the respective obligations of both states under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), help build a viable TPNW verification system, and boost international support for nuclear disarmament. The special relevance of the TPNW for Ukraine stems from Ukraine’s legacy as a part of the former Soviet Union. Under the Biden Administration, the United States is now seeking to undo the damage done to its position of global leadership in nuclear security affairs by the previous administration. Entry into force of the TPNW demands that the Biden Administration define its policies on whether to continue to reject the TPNW or to find a more constructive path forward. Our paper identifies opportunities that could enable the U.S. and the Ukraine to demonstrate leadership and advance the prospects for peace.