Lithuania took another big step towards allowing NATO nuclear weapons on their territory in the middle of the Ankara Summit! 💥🇱🇹💥 Recall that on 3 July 2026, 50 Seimas members put forward the requisite amendment to the Lithuanian Constitution. 1/4 e-seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legal…

The non-proliferation regime is vital to stability and security in the Middle East. Good to meet EU Special Representative for the Gulf Region @EUSR_Gulf’s Luigi Di Maio and exchange on this important issue. Thanks to the 🇪🇺 for steadfast support for @IAEAorg’s work.

Important to meet 🇺🇦 @MFA_Ukraine’s @andrii_sybiha and @MinEnergy_ua’s @Denys_Shmyhal to review @IAEAorg’s work in Ukraine, with our experts on the ground and assistance to help protect nuclear safety and security.

Important step for nuclear energy in Latin America and the Caribbean, with financing for development a key part of the process. This week, @the_IDB’s President @igoldfajn and I signed a new agreement to combine @IAEAorg’s technical expertise with the IDB’s development experience and regional reach, as countries assess nuclear power, including SMRs, alongside work in health, food security and water. This opens the door to much closer cooperation as more countries look to nuclear energy to meet rising electricity demand & builds on @IAEAorg’s growing cooperation with international financial institutions to support countries as they consider their future energy options.

Important to present @IAEAorg’s essential work for peace, nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation in the Middle East, including on Iran and recent achievements in Syria, at the ministerial event organized by IPI, Qatar and the EU. Thanks to @ipinst President Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Qatar’s PM and Foreign Minister @MBA_AlThani_ and @eu_eeas High Representative @kajakallas for the invitation.

In April, I asked U.S. officials what a first concrete step towards multilateral nuclear talks would be. The response: “We’re not in negotiations right now. We’re in exploratory discussions.” Five months later, what has changed? I appreciate @RobbieGramer and @MGordonWSJ pursuing this story on the CTBT’s 30th anniversary and ahead of renewed P5 talks after a much-needed break following what was an exhausting NPT Review Conference. But the @WSJ report leaves key questions unanswered about how substantive and reciprocal these U.S.–China exchanges actually are. Having followed the P5 Process for years and participated in both P5-mandated and bilateral U.S.–China Track 2 dialogues, I welcome sustained engagement at both levels. The U.S. and China have been discussing their nuclear doctrines and, more recently, specific risk-reduction measures within the P5 for years. The question is what these reported bilateral exchanges add. Has Beijing agreed to a substantive bilateral agenda on testing? Within the P5, has consensus been reached on discussing testing concerns and related confidence-building measures in their agenda moving forward? Are reciprocal proposals being developed? What is Washington prepared to offer and accept itself? Washington has been pressing its testing allegations while encouraging dialogue for months. The U.S., UK and France publicly called in May for confidence-building measures on nuclear explosive test monitoring, alongside a ballistic missile and space launch notification mechanism. What remains unclear is whether these efforts have secured agreement on a process for developing such measures. Confidential diplomacy deserves room to work. Exploratory exchanges can be valuable in their own right. But readers need enough substance to assess whether continued contact is producing diplomatic momentum. The report gives us too little to make that judgment. As I argued in @ForeignPolicy last October (foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/30…), ambiguity over Washington’s own testing intentions carries serious risks. Leaving other governments guessing can fuel the miscalculation and reciprocal escalation these discussions should help prevent. Has Washington clarified to Beijing what Trump’s testing directive means in practice? Has the administration even settled that question internally almost a year later? I also warned last October that China could benefit most from a return to explosive testing. Washington should explain how reopening that competition would serve American security, given its success in maintaining confidence in its arsenal without nuclear detonations for decades. There is a real opportunity to strengthen confidence in the testing moratoria through technical clarification, reciprocal transparency and sustained expert engagement. I want these discussions to succeed, but Washington needs to explain how threatening to resume nuclear explosive testing helps preserve the restraint it is asking others to demonstrate.

And here's the article by @alexandersmith on @NBCNews! nbcnews.com/world/greenland/…

BIG NEWS! US-Denmark-Greenland agreement has 14 of important points (thanks to @AlexanderSmith!): 1. Greenland as a party, right to self determination 2. Continued application of the agreement if it becomes independent 3. NATO membership for Greenland if it does so 1/4

I thanked Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi @takaichi_sanae during our meeting for Japan’s strong support throughout all these years of Russia’s war – energy support packages, sanctions decisions, and humanitarian projects. It was also very important to hear that this assistance will continue. We discussed areas where we can help each other. Of course, Ukraine is ready to share its experience and technologies on a mutually beneficial basis. Japan also has advanced technologies for protecting lives, particularly in air defense, that could help Ukraine get through next winter if Russia once again spurns negotiations. I invited the Prime Minister to visit Ukraine, including the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which Japan helped restore after a brutal Russian drone strike. I’m grateful for Japan’s leadership in helping protect lives in Ukraine. Thank you, Japan!

Washington has proposed an AI crisis channel with Beijing. What would make either government use it? In “Hold the Line,” the Forum on Preventive Defense’s first policy brief, I draw on nuclear risk reduction and conversations in China to offer five core commitments. forumonpreventivedefense.org…⁠

Finland is seeking a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2029–2030 term. We hosted a discussion on the UN’s role in maintaining international peace and security. We want to shoulder our responsibility for the UN’s core task: maintaining international peace and security. Respect for international law, human rights and the UN Charter is the foundation of sustainable peace.

New from me for RUSI today… Why NATO should urgently set up a multinational squadron dedicated to intercepting one-way-attack drones; including the rough performance, avionics and weapon requirements and aircraft options available. Free to read here: rusi.org/explore-our-researc…

Finland and Ukraine take their defence cooperation to the next level Today, we signed a drone deal with @ZelenskyyUa. The agreement enables, among other things, the joint production of defence materiel. Defence sector companies in Finland are ready, and the joint effort can now get fully under way. Ukraine needs all our support in its fight. At the same time, the cooperation is mutually beneficial. By learning from Ukraine’s experience, we are strengthening our own capabilities.

Excellent meeting with Igor Klymenko, Secretary of the National Security & Defence Council of Ukraine. We had an in-depth exchange on the most important issues, including air defence & defence industrial cooperation. I underlined that Germany will continue its strong support 🇩🇪🇺🇦

I addressed the UN Security Council today on behalf of the Nordic countries. Our message and our goal are clear: we seek to strengthen and expand support for Ukraine to help secure a just and lasting peace.

NEW: Billions in Rosneft’s earnings went through Kremlin-backed money-laundering network A7, putting the group at the heart of Russia’s efforts to dodge sanctions and supply its war in Ukraine. scoop by @NastyaStognei with @ChassNews and @xtophercook ft.com/content/fb42c5dd-1550…

Chinese spaceplane flight 4 released a subsat, 2026-024H, on Jun 21 and retrieved it (likely with a robot arm?) on Jul 12. On around Aug 28 it appears to have redeployed the subsat, and retreated several thousand km (1/n)

"It would be difficult for China not to react" if the arms sales go forward. That's what a former senior Chinese defense official told me. That's one of the mildest statements I've heard on this topic.

Theresa Hitchens in @BreakingDefense reports on SpaceX access to classified DoD data breakingdefense.com/2026/09/…

The CIA has warned Spain, France, and Italy that Russia may be preparing drone attacks against them, sharing intelligence with European governments after CIA Director John Ratcliffe's Moscow trip in August, according to El Mundo. Lithuania reportedly knows the drone type involved: a Gerbera with a 600 km range, to be launched from a merchant ship container at sea.

PrSM Increment 2 is advancing. 🚀 Its recent flight test demonstrated a launch from HIMARS, engaging a maritime target. The @USArmy has also awarded us a $1.2B IDIQ contract to begin production. Flight tested. Fielding ahead.