On November 1, the Valdai Discussion Club hosted an expert discussion devoted to the latest trends in arms control.
At the 16th Annual meeting of the Valdai Club in early October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was helping Beijing create a missile attack warning system. “This system will dramatically increase the defence capability of China,” Vladimir Putin said. If Beijing possesses this system, the security environment of the continent, and throughout whole world, will undoubtedly change.
Last August, the INF Treaty finally ceased to exist, representing another step towards the full dismantling of the international arms control system. Russia and the United States both declared their readiness to conclude a new INF Treaty. However, the United States would like China to participate in the new treaty, while Russia considers the new treaty exclusively bilateral.
The New START Treaty expires in February 2021. It is not yet clear whether Russia and the United States will extend it. Recently the White House expressed its intention to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty. All of these factors weaken the arms control system.
Should we expect a new arms race between Russia and the United States? How will the arms control system and global security system change in light of China’s possession of an early warning network? Will the New START Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty suffer the fate of the INF Treaty? Participants in the expert discussion answered these and other questions.
Speakers:
Richard Weitz, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute;
Vladimir Leontiev, Deputy Director of the Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation;
Vasily Kashin, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies, HSE.
Moderator:
Working languages: Russian, English.