Moscow Roundtable: Prospects for Russian-US Arms Control

Thursday, May 16, 2013 (All day)

On Thursday May 16th, BASIC co-sponsored a roundtable in Moscow with the Center for Energy and Security Studies (CENESS), Arms Control Association (ACA), the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) on new prospects for Russian-US Arms Control.

Experts examined options and prospects for a follow-on to New START; developments and opportunities for cooperation on missile defense; and possibilities for new steps on non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNW) and strategic nuclear weapons. One conclusion made from the discussions was that some of the challenges faced between Russia and the US on missile defense and nuclear weapons arms control are symptomatic of larger challenges, involving both countries’ roles in the world.

Some key questions considered throughout the day included:

  • What are the challenges of Russian-US trust deficit in missile defense?
  • Does the United States’ cancellation of Phase 4 of the European Phased Adaptive Approach change the equation?
  • What kind of cooperation and/or understanding in missile defense area between Moscow and Washington is/are realistic?
  • What are the pre-requisites and needs to address a question of NSNW in Europe reduction?
  • What is the best framework for addressing NSNW?
  • What might be useful and realistic first steps towards including NSNW in a future arms control accord?
  • Why is it in the U.S. and Russian national security interests to reduce their respective strategic nuclear stockpiles?
  • What security factors will most significantly influence each country’s deployed strategic force levels in the coming decade?
  • What steps can and should be taken to draw other nuclear-armed states into the nuclear risk reduction process?

View the full meeting agenda here.

View report of the meeting here

View list of participants here

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