US-Russia relations and the future of arms control: how the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty could restore engagement on nuclear issues

Relations between the United States and Russia are in a prolonged downward spiral. Under these circumstances, cooperation on nuclear issues-once a reliable area of engagement even in difficult political environments-has all but completely halted. There are urgent reasons to find a way out of this si...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Nonproliferation review Vol. 25; no. 3-4; pp. 307 - 318
Main Author Bidgood, Sarah
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 04.05.2018
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
arms control
Arms control & disarmament
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
Cooperation
Elections
Guided missiles
International cooperation
Military policy
Nuclear tests
Ratification
Russia
Treaties ratification
United States
United States > US
Ukraine
Russia
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Summary:Relations between the United States and Russia are in a prolonged downward spiral. Under these circumstances, cooperation on nuclear issues-once a reliable area of engagement even in difficult political environments-has all but completely halted. There are urgent reasons to find a way out of this situation, particularly the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 2021. However, seemingly intractable disagreements about noncompliance with the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty and US ballistic-missile defense, compounded by the Ukraine crisis, the conflict in Syria, and the accusations of Russian interference in the US election of 2016, threaten the future of arms control. Against this backdrop, policy makers and practitioners should identify ways to re-engage on nuclear issues now so they can be ready to implement them as soon as feasible. This article considers how the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) could serve as a platform for US-Russia cooperation on nuclear issues when circumstances permit. Taking into account the challenges posed by ongoing US non-ratification, it identifies a menu of CTBT-related activities short of ratification that the two countries could undertake together. It explores how joint work on this issue would advance shared US and Russian interests while helping to create the circumstances necessary for further arms-control work.
ISSN:1073-6700
1746-1766
DOI:10.1080/10736700.2018.1512203