Nuclear Issues

Though nuclear weapons have not been used since 1945, their threat is omnipresent when nuclear powers join the battlefield. CSIS scholars analyze key nuclear policy issues including deterrence, escalation, and arms control.

Photo: Skórzewiak/Adobe Stock

Photo: Skórzewiak/Adobe Stock

Strategic Trends 2025

In a world where old nuclear guardrails are eroding and new rivalries are converging, Strategic Trends 2025 charts how the United States and its allies must navigate a disorderly, multi-adversary nuclear landscape and rethink deterrence for an unpredictable era.

Report by Nicholas Adamopoulos, Diya Ashtakala, Doreen Horschig, Lachlan MacKenzie, Catherine Murphy, Joseph Rodgers, Bailey Schiff, Pranay Vaddi, Heather Williams, and Reja Younis — November 18, 2025

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Williams

Heather Williams

Director, Project on Nuclear Issues and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Victor Cha

Victor Cha

President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair
Joseph Rodgers

Joseph Rodgers

Deputy Director and Fellow, Project on Nuclear Issues

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Report Launch: Project Atom 2025

Please join the Project on Nuclear Issues for a launch event for the Project Atom 2025 report on escalatory risk in the Indo-Pacific. 

Event — December 10, 2025

Strategic Trends 2025

In a world where old nuclear guardrails are eroding and new rivalries are converging, Strategic Trends 2025 charts how the United States and its allies must navigate a disorderly, multi-adversary nuclear landscape and rethink deterrence for an unpredictable era.

Report by Nicholas Adamopoulos, Diya Ashtakala, Doreen Horschig, Lachlan MacKenzie, Catherine Murphy, Joseph Rodgers, Bailey Schiff, Pranay Vaddi, Heather Williams, and Reja Younis — November 18, 2025

The Impossible State

South Korea’s Nuclear Submarine Deal: What’s Next?

Dr. Victor Cha, Dr. Kang Choi, and Dr. Beomchul Shin discussed the outcomes of the APEC meetings, South Korea’s nuclear submarine deal with the United States, and potential next steps. 

Podcast Episode by Victor Cha — November 14, 2025

The Impossible State Podcast

Can the United States Immediately Return to Nuclear Testing?

President Trump’s post raises technical questions about how and if the United States could “immediately” return to nuclear testing, and political considerations about the signaling behind nuclear testing and who would benefit most from a return to testing.

Critical Questions by Heather Williams — October 30, 2025