International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

On September 26, the international community observes a day dedicated to humanity’s aspiration for a safe world free of nuclear weapons. In December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 26 the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, following the High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament held in New York on September 26, 2013. The initiative aims to raise public awareness of the threat posed by nuclear weapons and intensify international efforts toward their complete elimination.

In 2017, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted. It prohibits its States Parties from developing, testing, producing, acquiring, stockpiling, transferring, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons. As of September 2026, 95 states had signed the Treaty, 74 of which had become States Parties. However, nuclear-armed states—including the United States, russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea—have not joined the Treaty and continue to maintain their nuclear arsenals.

This issue holds particular significance for Ukraine. After the restoration of its independence in 1991, the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal remained on Ukrainian territory. Trusting in the power of international agreements, Ukraine relinquished these weapons and joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1994 as a non-nuclear-weapon state. Under the Budapest Memorandum, russia, the United States and the United Kingdom provided Ukraine with security assurances, including respect for its independence, sovereignty and existing borders. Related agreements provided compensation for the value of the nuclear material contained in the warheads and technical assistance with disarmament.

Today, the fundamental principles of international law are being undermined. Since 2014, russia has carried out armed aggression against Ukraine, launching its full-scale invasion in 2022 in violation of its own international commitments. The aggressor state is causing widespread destruction, engaging in nuclear blackmail and creating an extraordinary radiological threat. Facilities at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and within the exclusion zone have been damaged by russian attacks, while the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains under russian occupation.

Ukraine’s experience demonstrates the urgent need for effective mechanisms to monitor compliance with international agreements and ensure accountability for their violation. The total elimination of nuclear weapons, an end to nuclear blackmail and the restoration of respect for international law remain essential conditions for global security.