Scottish CND look forward to hosting Almut Rcohowanski (Quincy Institute) and Dr. Vladimir Unkovski-Korica (University of Glasgow) from 7pm-8pm on Tuesday 24th of February, for a webinar marking 4 years of war in Ukraine.
This is a tragic and significant anniversary. Barring an unlikely sudden resolution, 2026 will also mark the conflict having lasted longer than WWI. We will invite our guests to share their insights into the status of the war and whether there are real prospects for peace this year.
On Wednesday 25th February, Scottish CND Chair will be hosting the launch of Linda Pentz Gunter’s brand new book No to Nuclear: Why nuclear power destroys lives, derails climate progress and provokes war.
The event takes place from 7pm at Lighthouse books in Edinburgh (43- 45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB). The bookshop have kindly provided an option to book a seat for free! Ahead of the Scottish elections in May, in which some parties will aim to push a nuclear agenda, this is an especially important moment to hear Linda’s expert case against nuclear power. Click here to register for in-person or online attendance today.
Finally, another reminder that you can book seats on coaches to our Faslane demonstration on Saturday 14th of March. As you can see from the graphic below, the rally has been co-sponsored by a broad coalition of civic organisations. We hope to have a strong presence at the base to challenge the pernicious idea that omnicide weapons keep us safe, and to encourage voting for candidates that oppose nuclear weapons in the upcoming Scottish elections.
Remember to contact Mike at scndabdn@gmail.com if you would like transport from Aberdeen. This bus will be stopping at Dundee, Perth and Stirling on the way to and from Faslane if there is sufficient interest!
On the international stage, tensions are still rising as high-stakes negotiations between Tehran and Washington tentatively progress, with an enormous US military presence still building up in the Middle East. The US seeks to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities, particularly relating to uranium enrichment. in turn, Tehran hopes to negotiate the relief of US-imposed economic sanctions, which have strangled the Iranian economy for many years.
This was the basis of the successful 2015 JCPOA deal, signed by President Obama, which Trump unilaterally cancelled during his first term in 2018. However, hardliners within the US and Israeli governments also want to constrain Iran’s ballistic missile programme, which Iran is very unlikely to put on the table as part of a new nuclear deal.
The outcome of these negotiations could determine the future containment of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. This week the Turkish foreign minister said that his country would join in a nuclear arms race if Iran pursued a nuclear weapons programme, though maintained his belief that Iran is not currently developing a weapon. He has also cited Israel’s clandestine nuclear weapons programme as a destabilising factor in the region. It is also known that Saudi Arabia has ambitions to develop nuclear weapons, which would only be incentivised by the failure to reach a robust agreement between Iran and the US.
Meanwhile, Lakenheath Alliance for Peace have been monitoring US Airforce activity from RAF bases in Suffolk, with campaigners concerned these are being used to prepare US military assets for an attack on Iran.
It is very difficult to foresee the outcome of these talks, especially given the last round of negotiations was interrupted by an Israeli/US bombing campaign against Iran in June 2025. It is quite clear, though, that a deal along the lines of the JCPOA would be beneficial for regional and global stability, and to restrain the nuclear ambitions of other regional powers.
Whether the US/Israeli hardliners, who opposed the JCPOA in the first instance, would accept such an arrangement is yet to be seen.
Keep an eye on the SCND socials and this weekly newsletter for updates on local and international nuclear news.