President Obama's Nuclear Security Summit — the largest U.S.-hosted meeting of world leaders since 1945 — is aimed at keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists by securing sketchy stockpiles of fissile materials. Americans are skeptical though: In a Washington Post poll, 56 percent of respondents doubt the summit will make the world safer from rogue nukes. Is it just a matter of time until terrorists get the bomb? (Watch Obama warn that the nuclear threat is on the rise)
The summit is already making us safer: Before the meeting even started in earnest, Ukraine "ponied up" with a "significant" contribution, says Spencer Ackerman in The Washington Independent. It will eliminate its sizable stockpile of highly enriched uranium in the next two years. Ukraine, home of Chernobyl, is the poster child for "nuclear insecurity," so this is a big deal. "Take that, Washington Post poll!"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What difference will the 'historic' UK-Germany treaty make?Today's Big Question Europe's two biggest economies sign first treaty since WWII, underscoring 'triangle alliance' with France amid growing Russian threat and US distance
-
Quiz of The Week: 12 – 19 JulyHave you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Do we need more right-wing scientists?Talking Point Academics have a 'responsibility' to demonstrate why research matters to people who are not politically left-leaning, says Wellcome boss
