Russia

The Kremlin leader, Vladimir Putin, regularly brandishes the nuclear threat. According to international experts, the Russians have 5,580 nuclear warheads available, making Russia the country with the largest number of warheads in the world.

United States

Nuclear weapons are designed not to be used. Nuclear deterrence is intended to prevent a large-scale war. Despite this, the United States was the first country to develop nuclear weapons and the only one to have used them in wartime during the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in June 1945. The United States has 5,277 nuclear warheads, several of which are stationed in European NATO member countries.

China

China’s nuclear programme began under Mao Zedong in the 1950s. Like most nuclear programmes worldwide, it was initially for military purposes and led to the People’s Republic of China’s first nuclear test in 1964. Today, China is the third-largest nuclear power in the world, operating 50 nuclear reactors with 14 more under construction, and has 500 available warheads.

France

In 1960, France became the fourth country in the world to acquire nuclear weapons. Paris then aspired to have its own nuclear deterrent and to conduct foreign policy independently from Washington. France is one of the five countries that officially possess nuclear weapons in their arsenal.

United Kingdom

London acquired nuclear weapons in 1952. After gaining nuclear power status, London decided to enter into an agreement with Washington to ensure the longevity of its nuclear force. Known as the 1958 Agreement Act, this document assured the UK of the transfer of military nuclear technologies and the ability to test its weapons at the primary American site in Nevada. With a total of 225 nuclear warheads, of which only 120 are deployed, the UK is the world’s fifth nuclear power.

Pakistan

Recent tensions between Pakistan and India have raised fears of a nuclear escalation between the two countries. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has an estimated arsenal of 170 warheads. It is the seventh country in the world to succeed in developing and testing nuclear weapons, and the only Muslim country to have them.

India

On 18 May 1974, India carried out an underground test of a weapon with a yield of about ten kilotonnes in the vast Rajasthan desert. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi stated her country’s intention not to produce weapons but to develop atomic technology for peaceful purposes, such as mining. On 11 and 13 May 1998, India conducted five nuclear tests to demonstrate both to its Pakistani rival and the entire world its nuclear capabilities.

Israel

Israel is believed to possess nuclear weapons in secret. Tel Aviv has never confirmed or denied its nuclear capability, but many experts estimate it to be the world’s eighth nuclear power, with just under 100 warheads.

North Korea

The country led by Kim Jong Un has a military nuclear weapons programme. At the start of 2019, it was estimated to have an arsenal of about 20 to 30 warheads. By 2025, it is estimated that North Korea has 50 warheads, although it is extremely difficult to obtain precise information about the Pyongyang regime.

(MH with Amélie Barrion)