Director General of IAEA advocates stemming towards Nuclear Proliferation.

On 05^th. September, 2025, the Holy See have held a private audience with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi. Later, Mr. Grossi visited the studios of Vatican News to speak about the IAEA’s mission to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and avoid the technology’s use as a weapon of war.

After meeting Pope Leo XIV, and being aware of his various appeals for an “unarmed and disarming peace”, perhaps a mission is envisaged to prevent a nuclear accident or the use of nuclear weapons. It was quite revealing that the Pope has uttered these words right at the beginning, rightly because the biggest challenge is in a nuclear war. IAEA has been striving to put an end in the Middle East, in Iran, along with in Ukraine, Russia, in Zaporizhzhia. IAEA is trying to do this in China and Japan, everywhere where the nuclear activity has led, while addressing the issues that have very different configurations, but it is needed to be there to ensure non-proliferation or the safe use of nuclear technology.

Very recently the IAEA has reaffirmed its objective of bringing an end to the devastating war in Ukraine to an end without a nuclear incident. IAEA have visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant several times, and has found, the facility has been shelled almost daily, subject to incursions of drones. It has had nine blackouts compromising the cooling function of the station. What is mention worthy is that by looking at the maps this nuclear power plant is right at the frontline. It’s not somewhere in one of the oblasts, the possibility of something happening is extremely high. And contrary to what people perhaps think, military activity is increasing. It’s not decreasing. We hope that these talks and this beginning of talks towards some form of peace or ceasefire or any manifestation of that will succeed.

But ironically, before that happens, the belligerents multiply their military engagement and action because they want to go to the negotiating table in a position of strength, hence increasing the possibility of accidents. This is why IAEA is so alert, indulging in negotiations with both Russia and Ukraine.

While, several major nuclear powers are currently renewing their nuclear strike capabilities, while others have had their development efforts downgraded by targeted strikes, the assessment of the risk that nations resort to nuclear weapons has become quinossential. Moreover, there is an increase in nuclear armament as opposed to disarmament. Hence countries are improving and increasing their nuclear arsenals. Also importantly, countries those do not have nuclear weapons are starting to talk more and more openly about the possibility and perhaps the “necessity” of having nuclear weapons. Considering the fragmentation that they see, maybe thinking about the validity of existing security assurances and military alliances. All of this is in a state of flux. Also, many countries, including important countries in the West or in the extended West, in Asia, are envisaging having nuclear weapons at the end of the day would be the necessary thing. This is what the Pope Leo foresees, and has vouched for non-proliferation. But stemming this trend towards more nuclear weapons is so crucial. This is perhaps the biggest challenge in terms of nuclear weapon and disarmament these days.

As the world once made progress in nuclear disarmament, particularly with the various START treaties, the beginning with the one signed by the United States and the Soviet Union, which had kept the hope for disarmament in abeyance. However, it is encouraging at the summit in Alaska, the Russians and Americans for the first time have at least evoked the issue.

Although it’s very much complicated, and of course if things move forward with the peace efforts in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, there is a higher possibility.

Team Maverick