SIPRI has produced a new series of films that provide Russian perspectives on the landscape of arms control. The interviewees give their assessments of the current obstacles facing the arms control agenda and ways to overcome them.
The interviews were recorded in Moscow in October 2018 during a conference co-hosted by SIPRI and the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO). The conference celebrated 25 years of translation of the SIPRI Yearbook into Russian. The films can be viewed on SIPRI’s YouTube channel and on Facebook.
Dan Smith, SIPRI Director, introduces the series by describing the bleak state of arms control. However, he also outlines reasons to be optimistic—namely the launch of a new United Nations (UN) disarmament agenda, ‘Securing Our Common Future’ proposed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The interviewees—many of whom are affiliated with the Russian Academy of Sciences—are pessimistic and describe the distrustful atmosphere of current United States–Russia relations. As a starting point, they would like to see policymakers maintain existing treaties and are hopeful that the USA and Russia will re-engage in discussions on the INF Treaty, as well as the New START Treaty (the current iteration expires in 2021).
Interviewees emphasize the role of experts in informing both US and Russian policymakers and the importance of Track 2 dialogue in advancing the arms control agenda. Overall, interviewees highlight the need to engage other global powers— countries should not feel excluded from the global security architecture.
About SIPRI’s films
SIPRI produces a variety of videos that cater to different audiences and serve as an alternative platform for providing insights on peace and security. Events are a core component of SIPRI’s outreach, and livestreams and recordings of SIPRI’s conferences and seminars are produced on a regular basis. Watch more films over at SIPRI’s YouTube channel.