US-Russia Concerns on Pakistan Nuclear Proliferation

Newly declassified documents from the National Security Archive reveal that former US President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin harbored serious concerns about Pakistan's nuclear proliferation between 2001 and 2008. Transcripts of their conversations show Vladimir Putin describing Pakistan as 'just a junta with nuclear weapons' and both leaders expressing 'nervousness' over the risk of nuclear technology transfer to countries like Iran and North Korea. A key concern was the A.Q. Khan network, which illicitly supplied nuclear technology. George W. Bush pressed then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on the issue, while Vladimir Putin highlighted the discovery of Pakistani-origin uranium in Iranian centrifuges. The documents underscore persistent doubts about Pakistan's command and control over its nuclear arsenal and the broader implications for global nuclear security.