The Graphic Truth: Nuclear weapons — who has what?

The Graphic Truth: Nuclear weapons — who has what?
Ari Winkleman

Vladimir Putin has the Russian military on nuclear alert in response to Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But what does that mean in terms of numbers? Russia has the most warheads deployed — 1,625 — of any nuclear power other than the US. What’s more, the Russians could soon become the second country after the US to store nukes in another country. Belarus, a top Russian ally, recently tweaked its constitution to allow this. Here's a look at which nuclear powers have warhead stockpiles — and who's ready to use them.

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German Chancellor and chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Angela Merkel addresses a news conference in Berlin, Germany September 19, 2016.
REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

Angela Merkel was elected chancellor of Germany on November 22, 2005, becoming the first woman to hold that job. During that time Merkel was arguably the most powerful woman in the world, presiding over one of its largest economies for four terms in the Bundesregierung. Twenty years on, the anniversary is a reminder of how singular her breakthrough remains. It’s still the exception when a woman runs a country.