20260507 EU Politiker gefährden NVV

07.05.2026 EU Politiker gefährden NVV

ICAN calls for disarmament

Since April 27 and continuing through May 22, the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has been meeting at the United Nations. On May 1, 2026, Janina Rüther (ICAN Germany) and Jean-Marie Collin (ICAN France) presented a joint statement from European civil society there. While the German government — like many other European government representatives — once again glossed over the extremely dangerous risks of nuclear deterrence before the United Nations, ICAN called the problem by its name.

“Nuclear weapons, just like the climate crisis, pose an existential threat to the survival of humanity.”

The page linked below from ICAN Germany contains the speech transcripts in German and English, as well as the video from the conference.

While in January 2022 the nuclear-weapon states continued to declare their intention to “prevent an arms race that would benefit no one and endanger everyone,” European non-nuclear-weapon states have also recently been contributing to the weakening of the non-proliferation regime. Countries such as Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden are reinforcing the deceptive security logic based on the threat of using weapons of mass destruction by engaging in nuclear weapons cooperation initiated by France, according to the two ICAN spokespersons.

Such “nuclear alliances” outside the United Nations drive all states to seek to acquire nuclear weapons. “Especially at a time when three nuclear-armed states are involved in armed conflicts, we must ask ourselves: Is this a sensible path?” the speakers states. In conclusion, the two note: “We know that the overwhelming majority of states reject nuclear weapons. This is evident in their commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and nuclear-weapon-free zones. This majority must now raise its voice decisively in all international forums against a minority of states that endanger ‘human security.’”