As the Trump administration renews its search for peace in Ukraine, much of the commentary has centered on what Kyiv would have to give up in a peace deal. Far less attention has been paid to the global implications of the U.S. proposal—specifically how it would create an incentive for nuclear proliferation.
Even without a deal in place, the administration’s latest push is apt to accelerate conversations nonnuclear states are already having about whether to trust America’s nuclear umbrella. The pressure on Ukraine to cede much of its territory will embolden nonnuclear states to consider developing their own nuclear arsenals.
