The nuclear arms race nobody is talking about

The nuclear arms race nobody is talking about

From Lowy Institute by Lowy Institute

June 10, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

Rose Gottemoeller discusses the implications of the expired New START Treaty and the increasing nuclear capabilities of China with Sam Roggeveen.

The New START Treaty has expired, China is quadrupling its nuclear arsenal, and the Trump administration has yet to prioritise arms control. Rose Gottemoeller, a former chief US negotiator of New START and ex-Deputy Secretary General of NATO, speaks with the Lowy Institute’s Sam Roggeveen about the growing risks of a three-way nuclear stand-off, what the wars in Ukraine and Iran reveal about the future of warfare, and why she will always be a believer in arms control agreements. More episodes of the Lowy Institute's podcasts are available on your favourite podcast apps, including  Spotify ,  YouTube  and  Apple . Follow the Lowy Institute on our  website ,  X ,  Instagram  or  LinkedIn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Sam Roggeveen

Guest: Rose Gottemoeller

Topics covered

  • nuclear arms race
  • arms control
  • New START Treaty
  • China's nuclear arsenal
  • three-way nuclear stand-off
  • future of warfare
  • Ukraine and Iran conflicts

Keywords

  • nuclear arms race
  • New START Treaty
  • arms control
  • China
  • Ukraine
  • Iran
  • Rose Gottemoeller
  • Sam Roggeveen

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lowy Institute, NATO, Trump administration

Places: Ukraine, Iran

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