Overview
- Delegations at UN headquarters in New York opened the review with public vows to uphold the nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty, while bloc statements and national speeches revealed sharp mistrust.
- Russia, in a message from President Vladimir Putin read by envoy Andrey Belousov, said it follows the treaty’s letter and spirit and urged multilateral steps toward disarmament and broader access to peaceful nuclear energy.
- NATO’s Assistant Secretary General Boris Ruge called Russia’s nuclear rhetoric irresponsible, defended the alliance’s deterrence as consistent with the treaty, and pressed China to provide more transparency on its nuclear forces.
- China filed a detailed national report that reiterates a no‑first‑use pledge, says its arsenal stays at the minimum needed for security, rejects deploying weapons abroad, and highlights export controls and IAEA safeguards to show openness.
- Lithuania and Latvia condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine, singled out the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and demanded withdrawal and accountability, as analysts warned the conference could again end without a consensus document after failures in 2015 and 2022.