Navigating Global Threats: A Conversation on Nuclear Risk with Thomas Countryman
September 16th, 2025 5:30PM -7:00PM
Join the World Affairs Council for a conversation with Tom Countryman, Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Arms Control Association and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation. Growing rivalry among the great powers and the decay of long-standing arms control agreements have eroded the always tenuous equilibrium among the world’s nuclear-possessing States. The very fabric of the global nonproliferation regime is fraying as States from Iran to South Korea weigh the security advantages of going nuclear. As Washington and Moscow let traditional channels of dialogue rust away, authoritarian powers grow bolder, and emerging technologies redefine the theories of deterrence, Countryman will unpack what these developments mean for global security and the future of diplomacy.
About Our Speaker
Tom Countryman is an expert on nuclear security and a distinguished diplomat currently holding a position on the board of the internationally recognized NGO the Arms Control Association. Mr. Countryman was the acting undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. He served for 35 years as a member of the U.S. Foreign Service until January 2017, achieving the rank of minister-counselor, and was appointed in October 2016 to the position of acting undersecretary of state. He simultaneously served as assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation, a position he had held since September 2011.
After 34 years in foreign service with tours in Egypt, Athens, Rome, and the Balkans, Mr. Countryman was relieved of service in 2017 and joined the Arms Control Association. He has since been elected as chairman of the ACA and continues to serve, “promoting public understanding of and support for effective arms control policies”.
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