US President Donald Trump's aggressive approach, combining pressure on adversaries and tensions with allies, risks pushing the world towards a new era of nuclear arms race.
In Europe, countries such as Germany and Poland are reconsidering their reliance on the US nuclear umbrella, with interest growing in France's proposal to extend nuclear deterrence to the continent.
Meanwhile, China and Russia have voiced concerns about the potential for nuclear proliferation in Japan and South Korea, even as both continue to strengthen their respective weapons capabilities.
The US is reportedly considering resuming nuclear weapons testing after more than three decades, in line with the current administration's new policy direction.
At the same time, Washington is increasing pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear program, but in a separate development, Saudi Arabia could potentially be given access to uranium enrichment technology, reflecting conflicting policy approaches in the region.
The situation has prompted open discussions in various countries about the need to develop their own nuclear capabilities, including among countries that have previously committed not to possessing them.
According to Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency, this increased interest in weapons of mass destruction will not make the world safer, but rather increases the risk of global instability.
To date, only nine countries possess nuclear weapons, but more than 20 countries have the technical capability to develop them in a short period of time if necessary, with relatively small amounts of radioactive material sufficient to produce a weapon with a large impact.
This trend is driven by the perception that the absence of nuclear weapons can weaken a country's security, based on the experience of countries such as Ukraine and Libya.
However, the more countries possess nuclear weapons, the more difficult it is to implement international controls, thus increasing the risk of large-scale conflict, as has been seen in the tensions between India and Pakistan.
Security experts warn that the global arms control system built since the Cold War is now on the verge of collapse, potentially paving the way for a more dangerous and unstable world.
