A Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty and the Future of Nuclear Arms Control 1

The essential ingredient for all nuclear weapons is a core of highly enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium, known as fissile material. ² Since the end of the Cold War, the five nuclear weapon states are all assumed to have stopped (or almost stopped) the production of fissile material on a unilateral basis. ³ Moreover, four of them (the United States, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom) have declared unilateral, unlimited moratoriums on future production. ⁴ Taking this good news for granted, some have argued that the need and the momentum for a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) have vanished in terms of nuclear disarmament. ⁵