Is nuclear war inevitable?

Russian aggression and nuclear saber rattling have reminded us that reducing the probability of an all-out catastrophe requires us learning to accept a certain degree of risk and uncertainty, writes Joseph S Nye Jr

The war in Ukraine has reminded us that there is no way to avoid uncertainty and risk. The goal of reducing (not abolishing) the role of nuclear weapons over time remains as important as ever.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and nuclear saber-rattling against the West have revived a debate about nuclear weapons. Last year, when a United Nations treaty to ban such weapons outright entered into force, none of the world’s nine nuclear-weapons states was among the 86 signatories. How can these states justify possessing weapons that put all of humanity at risk?

That is a pertinent question, but it must be considered alongside another one: If the United States were to sign the treaty and destroy its own arsenal, would it still be able to deter further Russian aggression in Europe? If the answer is no, one also must consider whether nuclear war is inevitable.