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Commentary

In Russia’s perceived war with the West, arms control is collateral damage

Three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and as New START enters its penultimate year in force, Nicholas Lokker writes that Russia is seeking to extricate itself from previously established arms control agreements it perceives as elements of the broader Western-dominated political and security order that it aims to overturn. He also argues that whilst Russia is unwilling to return to the negotiating table now, economics and external pressure from allies could herald a resumption of talks in future.

13 January 2025 | Nicholas Lokker
NPTRussia-WestMultilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferationNPT ProjectArms ControlConventional Arms ControlCSBMsDefenceDeterrenceDiplomacyEastern EuropeEuropeForeign policyMissilesNATONPTNuclear Arms ControlNuclear SecurityNuclear WeaponsRisk ReductionRussiaRussia-West RelationsUkraineWMDs
Commentary

Network reflections: What are the defence and security priorities for your country or party in 2025?

As we enter 2025 with the imminent return of US President-elect Donald Trump to the White House and war still raging in Ukraine, we asked members of our network who are actively engaged in their domestic politics what the defence and security priorities for their country or party should be for the year ahead.

8 January 2025 | Nils Schmid, Laëtitia Saint-Paul, Linas Linkevicius, Todor Tagarev, David McAllister and Konstantin Samofalov
Network ReflectionsRussia-West relationsDefenceEmerging technologiesEUEuropeFranceGermanyNATORussiaRussia-West RelationsSecurityUkraine
Commentary

Taking responsibility: How NPT members can support justice for victims of nuclear weapons – and through this, the NPT

This week, the Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo, founded by atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha), will receive the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize demonstrating an increased international interest in past and ongoing harm caused by nuclear weapons. While the NPT largely remains silent on the humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons and the associated legacies of the nuclear past, Jana Baldus and Caroline Fehl write that NPT members can do more to further the cause of nuclear justice, and that doing so is in their own best interest.

10 December 2024 | Jana Baldus and Dr Caroline Fehl
NPTMultilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferationNPT ProjectNPTNPTProjectNuclear Weapons
Commentary

The politics of nuclear disarmament verification: How to advance nuclear disarmament

Following the UN Committee on Disarmament and International Security’s call to ascertain the views of Member States on the establishment of a Group of Scientific and Technical Experts (GSTE) on Nuclear Disarmament Verification (NDV), ELN Senior Network member Michael Biontino argues that NDV, beyond its technical aspects, is an essential political element of nuclear disarmament since it builds the trust needed for disarmament agreements. In the commentary, he outlines the various ways that NDV can advance the political processes necessary for effective disarmament.

4 December 2024 | Michael Biontino
NPTMultilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferationNPT ProjectArms ControlConventional Arms ControlDefenceDeterrenceGovernanceNATONPTNuclear Arms ControlNuclear DisarmamentNuclear WeaponsRisk ReductionSecurityUnited NationsWMDs
Commentary

Building bridges for security and cooperation: Highlights from the YGLN Annual Gathering 2024

From the 11-14th of November, the Younger Generation Leaders Network (YGLN) met in Vienna for their annual gathering. Over the course of the week, YGLN members met with various international organisations and diplomatic missions, fostered insightful discussions, and were able to network and collaborate with one another. Read the commentary for a full account of the annual gathering.

2 December 2024 | Nikita Gryazin
Multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferationArms ControlCTBTDefenceDiplomacyEmerging technologiesEuropeForeign policyGovernanceInternational LawNuclear Arms ControlNuclear DisarmamentRisk ReductionRussia-West RelationsUkraineUnited Nations
Commentary

Deterrence without destruction: Rethinking responses to biological threats

Scientific advances have renewed a discussion around the possibility of potentially devastating biological attacks. Eva Siegmann writes that nuclear deterrence is inadequate to deter biological threats. Instead, the threat of biological weapons should be addressed via international efforts rooted in transparency and cooperation. Leveraging the mechanisms of the Biological Weapons Convention and implementing deterrence-by-denial strategies can effectively mitigate risks.

28 November 2024 | Eva Siegmann
EDTsJRCTEmerging Disruptive Technologies and risk reductionBiosecurityConventional Arms ControlDefenceDeterrenceEmerging technologiesGovernanceHybrid warfareInternational LawNEVERNuclear Arms ControlNuclear WeaponsRisk ReductionWMDs
Commentary

Bluff and bluster: Why Putin revised Russia’s nuclear doctrine

Last week, President Putin approved changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, formally lowering the threshold for Russia’s use of its nuclear weapons. ELN Senior Policy Fellow Rishi Paul writes that these changes have been prompted by Putin’s use of nuclear weapons as tools of coercion, aiming to manipulate shared nuclear risks for intimidation and political leverage and to induce Western caution. However, Putin’s nuclear threats have not fundamentally reshaped Western policies and may underscore the limitations of nuclear coercion as a tool for shaping adversaries’ behaviour.

25 November 2024 | Rishi Paul
Multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferationNuclear SecurityNuclear WeaponsRussiaRussia-West RelationsSecurityUkraine
Commentary

The Women Leaders podcast: Unpacking the US elections

2024’s US elections saw unprecedented developments— a last-minute democratic candidacy, an attempted assassination, and over $15 billion in campaign spending. These tumultuous events culminated in a decisive win for Trump and the Republican Party. In this episode, Ilana Bet-El is joined by Elena Schneider, Politico US’s National Political Reporter, to explore the election’s dynamics, the fragmented media landscape, and how perceptions of power and strength continue to influence the electorate.

15 November 2024 | Ilana Bet-El and Florence Ferrando
DemocracyGenderPodcastsTransatlantic relationsUnited States
Commentary

Network reflections: What will Trump’s election mean for European security?

This week, Donald Trump won the 2024 US presidential elections, beating Kamala Harris to become the 47th President of the United States. We asked members of the ELN’s networks: What now for European security?

8 November 2024 | Valeriia Gergiieva, Bernard Norlain, Marc Finaud, Oliver Meier, Sahil Shah, Irina Busygina, Evie Aspinall and Shane Ward
Network ReflectionsRussia-West relationsEuropeRussiaRussia-West RelationsSecurityUnited KingdomUnited States