European countries, particularly the United Kingdom and France who have nuclear weapons, must engage in efforts to establish a new nuclear arms control system, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) Andrei Kortunov said in an article for Kommersant.
He pointed out that it was the UK, Germany and France that initiated dialogue on the Iranian nuclear issue back in 2003, which successfully resulted in a deal in 2015.
“Today, in light of Washington’s withdrawal from the INF Treaty [the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty – TASS], the global situation is much more difficult than it was in 2003, and the threats to European security are higher. Russian-US dialogue on nuclear issues is either facing barriers or is even about to get suspended for years to come,” the expert said. “Perhaps, it is time European leaders show the same political will and imagination they demonstrated in 2003?” Kortunov added.
“The future of nuclear arms control – if it has a future at all – will in any case be multilateral. And if two superpowers fail to accomplish the mission history tasked them with, then maybe it is time other nuclear countries join the game?” the expert wrote.
According to him, it is Europe that should work on the development of a new multilateral arms control mechanism but, in Kortunov’s words, it will take much time. “For many reasons, it is easier for the Europeans to tackle the issue than it is for the two privileged members of the ‘nuclear club’,” he concluded.