(Stockholm Combined News) The Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute warns that last year, most nuclear-armed countries continued to strengthen their nuclear arsenals and withdrew from nuclear arms control treaties, creating conditions for a new round of nuclear arms race.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an institution that studies arms control and disarmament issues. It stated in its annual report on Monday (June 16) that the number of usable warheads maintained by Russia and the United States, which together hold about 90% of the world's nuclear weapons, is relatively stable for 2024. However, both countries are implementing extensive nuclear modernization programs, which may expand their respective nuclear arsenals in the future. It is estimated that Russia and the U.S. currently possess approximately 5,459 and 5,177 nuclear warheads, respectively.
The report also states: "Since the end of the Cold War, the era of global nuclear disarmament is coming to an end. On the contrary, we see a clear trend of expanding nuclear arsenals, escalating nuclear rhetoric, and the abandonment of arms control agreements."
Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, pointed out that global geopolitics is at a particularly dangerous and unstable moment, bringing new threats. "We are now seeing warning signs of a new round of nuclear arms race approaching."