Beyond Tariffs: The New Multipolar Trade Web
Virtual Briefing Series
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
The recent expiration of the New START treaty between the U.S. and Russia marks a structural shift in the global nuclear order, removing the last legally binding constraints on the world’s two largest arsenals. With no successor framework in place, the bilateral arms control architecture that has underpinned stability for decades is effectively suspended. In its absence, risks of vertical and horizontal proliferation are intensifying. According to the UN assessment, for the first time in decades, the number of nuclear warheads and nuclear testing is rising, and global military spending climbed to $2.7 trillion in 2025, an increase of 2.9% from the previous year. New records show that China is the fastest-growing nuclear power globally and is significantly expanding its nuclear weapons infrastructure, raising concerns about a potential new global arms race as major arms control agreements weaken.
At the same time, emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and precision-strike capabilities, are reshaping the foundations of deterrence, complicating traditional approaches to verification and monitoring. This discussion will examine how the erosion of arms control is accelerating proliferation pressures, how technological change is altering the strategic landscape, and whether a new, credible system of nuclear restraint can still be constructed.
Join us for an insightful virtual discussion on the new risks of global proliferation on Thursday, May 21st, from 12 PM to 1 PM ET, featuring David Albright, Physicist and Founder of the non-profit Institute for Science and International Security, Alexandra Bell, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, Senior Fellow and Director of Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security.
THIS SESSION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
SPEAKERS:
David Albright
David Albright, a physicist, is founder and President of the non-profit Institute for Science and International Security (“Institute”) in Washington, D.C. He directs the project work of the Institute, heads its fundraising efforts, and chairs its board of directors. In addition, he regularly publishes and conducts scientific research. He has written numerous assessments on secret nuclear weapons programs throughout the world, most recently focusing on Iran and North Korea.
Albright has published assessments in numerous technical and policy journals, including the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Science, Scientific American, Science and Global Security, Washington Quarterly, and Arms Control Today. Research reports by Albright have been published by the Environmental Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. and Princeton University’s Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, and especially on the Institute’s web site.
Albright has authored or co-authored nine books, including the groundbreaking World Inventory of Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium,1992, (SIPRI and Oxford University Press) written in collaboration with Frans Berkhout, of Sussex University, and William Walker, of the University of St. Andrews. A second, greatly expanded edition entitled Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium 1996: World Inventories, Capabilities and Policies was published in March 1997. Albright is also a co-editor and contributor to Challenges of Fissile Material Control (Institute Press, 1999) and Solving the North Korean Nuclear Puzzle (Institute Press, 2000), which one leading expert on North Korea called “the definitive unclassified analysis of the North Korean nuclear program.” In 2010, Free Press published his book Peddling Peril: How the Secret Nuclear Trade Arms America’s Enemies. It was listed by The Atlantic as one of the best foreign affairs books of 2010. Other books include Revisiting South Africa’s Nuclear Weapons Program; Illicit Trade Networks – Connecting the Dots; Peddling Peril: How the Secret Nuclear Trade Arms America’s Enemies; and Taiwan’s Former Nuclear Weapons Program: Nuclear Weapons On-Demand; Peddling Peril Index. His latest book is Iran’s Perilous Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons, which the Wall Street Journal called: “The most comprehensive unclassified recounting of Iran’s nuclear aspirations ever written…careful, meticulous recitation of the full reality of Iran’s efforts.” More recently, because of the war in Ukraine, he has focused on the Shahed 136 kamikaze drone, particularly its production in Russia at JSC Alabuga with Iranian assistance, its Western components, and its supply chain. He is currently writing a book on the Shahed drones.
Alexandra Bell
Alexandra Bell is the president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. A noted policy expert and former diplomat, she oversees the Bulletin’s publishing programs, management of the Doomsday Clock, and a growing set of activities around nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. Before joining the Bulletin, Alexandra Bell served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Affairs in the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability (ADS) at the U.S. Department of State. Previously, she has worked at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and the Council for a Livable World, Ploughshares Fund, and the Center for American Progress.
Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn
Stacie Pettyjohn is a senior fellow and director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She is a recognized expert in U.S. defense strategy, force planning, military posture, airpower, and wargaming. Her current work explores the future of warfare, with a particular focus on the operational implications of emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and drones—and the evolving dynamics of nuclear deterrence in an increasingly multipolar world.
Pettyjohn brings a wealth of policy experience and analytic rigor to her role. She recently chaired the Total Force Integration Subcommittee of the Reserve Forces Policy Board, a federal advisory committee within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where she helped shape guidance on optimizing active-reserve force integration. She has also worked in the Joint Staff’s Strategy, Plans, and Policy office, supporting efforts related to nuclear command and control.
Prior to joining CNAS, Pettyjohn spent over a decade as a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, where she led critical studies on airpower, force posture, multidomain operations, and strategic planning. From 2019 to 2021, she directed the Strategy and Doctrine Program within Project Air Force, and from 2014 to 2020, she coled RAND’s Center for Gaming, spearheading high-level defense wargames.
Her writing and commentary have been featured in top-tier outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, and Breaking Defense. Her insights have also been featured in The Economist, the Financial Times, and major broadcast media, including NPR, NBC, ABC, Fox News and the BBC.
Pettyjohn holds a PhD and an MA in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and a BA in history and political science from The Ohio State University.
THIS SESSION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
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