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PBS NewsHourJun 29
Report: Global Nuclear Weapons Spending Reached $91.4B In 2023
Above: Russian RS-24 Yars nuclear missile complex (NATO reporting name: SS-29) arrives during the main rehearsals of the military parade, in the Red Square on May 5, 2024. Image copyright: Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
According to a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), global spending on nuclear weapons surged by 13% to a record $91.4B in 2023, $10.7B more compared to the previous year.
The US share of total funding reportedly increased to $51.5B — more than the combined spending of all nine nuclear-armed states — and accounted for 80% of the 2023 rise.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The report reveals that while the global number of nuclear warheads continues to fall, the number of operational nuclear warheads is on the rise, with the increase in US spending primarily due to the growing threat from countries such as Russia, China, and North Korea. While the United States would prefer a world without nuclear weapons, the US is an ultimate security guarantee for the free world and a means of maintaining peace amid an increasingly tense geopolitical environment.
Establishment-critical narrative
ICAN's figures are grossly distorted and are mainly driven by the surge in US arms spending. However, UK spending also rose significantly due to the arms lobby's increasing influence on government decisions. This contradicts Western slogans of "freedom and democracy" and represents a massive waste of taxpayers' money. People want a peaceful future and demand a policy that is geared towards their interests, not those of the arms companies.
Narrative C
The data underlines the need for the nine nuclear-armed states to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The tens of billions saved could end global hunger and address other pressing issues, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The nuclear states' new arms race threatens the future of all humanity and must be stopped.