Russia will hold its presidential election on Sunday and Vladimir Putin is expected to move from his current role as Prime Minister back to the presidential helm, for at least the next six years. Ahead of the election, he has ramped up the rhetoric on strengthening Russia’s strategic posture, and has posed Russia as still being the only true global counterweight to U.S. military power.
Russia
BASIC 2011 Annual Activities Report
There was overwhelming momentum seen in 2010 on the international stage with numerous initiatives on arms control, nuclear non-proliferation, and disarmament. Unfortunately, this momentum was not as evident in 2011, as it seemed as though the international focus had shifted. Nevertheless, BASIC’s tempo was itself maintained into 2011 as we attempted to play our role in returning the focus to effective efforts to achieve nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in the United Kingdom, United States, Middle East, and Europe.
The Obama Administration’s budget and nuclear weapons
Today, the Obama Administration will roll out the FY2013 federal budget and nuclear weapons watchers will be scanning through the details of the financial plans released for the Departments of Defense and Energy.
Getting a ‘New START’ on the next negotiations
Today will be Ellen Tauscher’s final day as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, and Rose Gottemoeller is expected to be named as her successor for the time being. As the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, Gottemoeller negotiated New START for the US and this weekend marked the one year anniversary of its entry into force.
A Visit to Moscow: Disarmament, Arms Control, the Role of Nuclear Weapons, and NATO-Russia Strategic Dialogue
From 28-30 November 2011, BASIC executive director Paul Ingram travelled to Moscow and participated in several meetings on nuclear arms control with a focus on tactical nuclear weapons, in order to reach out to Russian officials and parliamentarians to discuss next steps in arms control and disarmament.
New START anniversary and old nuclear baggage
Thursday of this week marks the first anniversary of the U.S. Senate’s vote in favor of ratifying the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which established verifiable limits on Russian and U.S. strategic nuclear weapons.
BASIC News: July-November 2011
BASIC has been making fresh tracks to advance dialogue on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including at seminars in Malta and Moscow, and moving the London office to Whitehall.
NATO Needs to Act on Nuclear Policy
NATO foreign ministers meet, less than six months before the summit in Chicago. They have a full agenda, not least the debates over the management of withdrawal from Afghanistan and discussing lessons from the Libya experience.