Cooperative Security, Arms Control and Disarmament Report No.239
Report No. 239: A Sceptic’s Take on the Nuclear Bomb
Ramesh Thakur
August 06, 2025

Image: Sean Pavone/ shutterstock.com
This report states that the spread of nuclear weapons to a total of nine countries today, and the spell they cast on the leaders and scientists of many other countries who are enchanted by the magic of the bomb, rests on several mutually reinforcing myths. The author outlines these myths and the five paradoxes which set the context for the global nuclear arms control agenda. The possession of nuclear weapons by nine countries leaves the world exposed to the risk of sleepwalking into a nuclear disaster. A more rational and prudent approach to reducing nuclear risks would be to actively advocate and pursue the minimisation, reduction, and elimination agendas for the short, medium, and long terms.