Dr. George Perkovich, the Japan Chair for a World Without Nuclear Weapons and a senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has long worked on nuclear issues and is currently leading a study on nuclear signaling in the twenty-first century. This interview examines Perkovich’s assessment of the future of nuclear arms control and the challenges facing the global nuclear order amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. Perkovich emphasizes that arms control was historically designed to stabilize competition by reassuring adversaries that neither side seeks an offensive or defensive advantage in weapons capable of enabling a successful nuclear attack. He suggests that, while formal treaties face structural constraints within the United States, high-level political agreements between leaders may provide a more feasible path for arms control. Perkovich also cautions against nuclear acquisition by US allies warning that it underestimates the consequences of proliferation. Emphasizing that the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons faces a generational challenge, he calls for renewed political leadership and dialogue to sustain the international nuclear order. The interview, conducted online on 19 February 2026, was accompanied by commentary on the implications of the US – Israel strikes on Iran for the nuclear order.
Yoshida et al. (Fri,) studied this question.