How can a foreign country be persuaded to reduce or even give up its nuclear weapons? Our guest today is Gloria Duffy, the former assistant deputy secretary of defense during the Clinton administration.
“When the Soviet Union broke up, there were nuclear weapons left in the territories of four countries: Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia. … So I was involved in negotiating with these four countries. … We managed to eliminate 7,000 nuclear weapons in those countries and secured the commitment of Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan to become non-nuclear,” Duffy said.
In April 2022, she was appointed by the speaker of the House to a congressional commission tasked with making recommendations to Congress regarding the United States’ most effective nuclear weapons strategy, as well as the country’s overall strategic posture and stability.
“China has historically been a country with a small number of nuclear weapons, but they are rapidly building up to the same level as the U.S.,” Duffy said. “I had been shown some aerial photography that revealed the digging of many new missile silos on Chinese territory. … China was significantly expanding its nuclear arsenal. … I was concerned before, but more so after I learned the details.”
Currently, she’s president and CEO of the Commonwealth Club of California, America’s largest and oldest public forum, founded in 1903.
In today’s episode, Duffy will share her experience as a key figure in nuclear reduction negotiations after the Cold War and her insights on the nuclear threats in today’s environment.
