Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes in Conversation with Vietnamese Initiative Book Hunter on Nuclear WeaponsOn February 19, 2026, Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes joined Book Hunter for a discussion on nuclear weapons and global security. She traced the history of the nuclear age from Hiroshima and Nagasaki to today’s world of nine nuclear-armed states possessing roughly 12,500 warheads, warning that even a “limited” nuclear exchange could trigger cascading consequences including nuclear winter and mass global starvation.The conversation challenged the narrative that nuclear weapons preserve peace. Dr. Hughes reviewed Cold War close calls, false alarms, and accidents, arguing that survival has depended more on luck than stability. She also examined the current erosion of arms control agreements and emphasized that lasting security requires adherence to international law and serious progress toward verified disarmament.
Book Hunter is an independent Vietnamese intellectual and literary initiative that fosters critical discussion on history, politics, and culture. Through publishing, translation, and public dialogue, it creates space in Vietnam for open engagement with global ideas, including urgent debates on war, peace, and international security.
