Obama’s Nuclear Security Agenda

President Obama’s initiative to eliminate nuclear weapons culminated in the 2010 Nuclear Security Summit, uniting 47 nations to commit to securing and reducing vulnerable nuclear materials worldwide. This summit emphasized political will, with the Washington Work Plan setting concrete action points to prevent nuclear terrorism and reinforce global non-proliferation norms. Beyond disarmament rhetoric, Obama’s policy expanded U.S. focus on non-nuclear security capabilities, leveraging diplomatic influence to strengthen alliances and international institutions. By pairing nuclear risk reduction with investments in conventional security and crisis response, the administration bolstered U.S. strategic leverage without relying on the threat of mutual assured destruction.