Russia, Iran, China, North Korea: The Nuclear Dimension of the Axis of Upheaval
Practical information
Accessibility
Themes and regions
Related centers and programs
This is a private event.
Learn more about our corporate support packages
In an international context marked by the resurgence of power rivalries, cooperation between Iran, China, Russia and North Korea is attracting increasing attention.
Often described as an “axis of upheaval”, these regimes maintain increasingly close bilateral partnerships which, without constituting a formal alliance, undermine international norms, particularly in terms of nuclear non-proliferation. While Russia and China are rapidly modernizing their strategic arsenals, North Korea is pursuing the qualitative development of its capabilities, and Iran is crossing technical thresholds that reduce its distance to nuclear weapons.
At the same time, these states are cooperating opportunistically - transferring technology, circumventing sanctions, providing diplomatic support - and undermining multilateral disarmament instruments. This event aims to explore the nuclear dynamics within this informal axis, its consequences for Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security, and the policy options available to states committed to the non-proliferation norm.
Speaker:
Dr. Nicole Grajewski, Research Fellow at the Nuclear Policy Program of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Chair:
Héloïse Fayet, head of the Deterrence and Proliferation program at Ifri.
Contact
For further information on this event, please contact Ifri's Security Studies Center ([email protected]). Access is only available to those who have received a personal invitation by e-mail.
Related Subjects
Other events
The EU–India Defense Partnership in an Evolving Security Environment
On 27 January 2026, the European Union and India signed a Security and Defence Partnership on the sidelines of the EU-India Summit. This agreement marks an important step in the evolution of the strategic partnership between the two sides, placing security and defence at the heart of a relationship that has until now been driven primarily by trade and economic cooperation.
One Month Ahead of the Midterms: Where Is Trump’s America Headed?
The November elections will be a test of President Trump’s grip on the U.S. political landscape and, by extension, on global geopolitics. As the political battle intensifies ahead of the vote, the U.S. economy remains resilient despite inflation and the twists and turns of trade policy, while the international order continues to be deeply unsettled by the war with Iran. The 24th edition of Ifri’s Annual Conference on the United States will examine the dynamics at play in the United States and their implications for Europe and the transatlantic relationship.