Newsletter May 2025
SCRAP Around the World
On 11-12 April, SCRAP Weapons Director Prof. Daniel Plesch attended the “Advancing Disarmament in a New Age of Insecurity” workshop organised by the Simons Foundation Canada, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University.
The workshop was designed to be collaborative and encourage participation and engagement from all participants on themes including the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, connecting military spending to broader societal impacts, and building connections between nuclear disarmament and other justice movements. Participants reflected on best practices for transforming academic institutions into advocates for disarmament and shared views on establishing immediate priorities and actionable goals.
On April 25, SCRAP Weapons Director Prof. Daniel Plesch presented in Panel 1 of the Global Nuclear Order annual conference 2025: Rethinking Nuclear Deterrence in an Era of Strategic Uncertainty. He spoke on Strategic Conventional Counter Force (SCCF) in Nuclear Deterrence Studies.
Hosted by the Global Nuclear Order (GNO) Working Group of the British International Studies Association (BISA), this year’s virtual annual conference brings together scholars and practitioners to critically examine the evolving role of nuclear deterrence in a rapidly changing global landscape. With panels exploring various approaches to deterrence, the impact of emerging technologies, regional dynamics, and great power competition, the conference offers a timely forum for rethinking the political, ethical, and strategic dimensions of deterrence today.
News and Updates
“…Without the supposed deterring effect of US nuclear weapons, how can Europe stand up to Russian nuclear threats? Many convinced Atlanticists now thank France’s General de Gaulle for creating a bomb that can wreak havoc in ‘toute directions’ outside of the American nuclear ‘umbrella’.
In reality, President Vladimir Putin has neither been able to use his nuclear arsenal to intimidate Ukraine, nor deter Kyiv from attacking Moscow, invading Russian territory and destroying nuclear warning radars and strategic air force bomber bases. The radiation from a Russian nuclear attack would harm Russians and destroy its reputation across the world. Nor would even the incineration of the people of Kyiv guarantee victory.”
For inquiries: Prof. Daniel Plesch, dp27@soas.ac.uk / + 44 (0)771 2833909