Statements & Briefings

The tensions between Russia, Ukraine and NATO create the potential for a disastrous war that can and must be avoided through serious and deft diplomacy. Among other steps, NATO and Russia should pursue agreement on common sense arms control instruments to help move away from the brink of disaster and promote stability and security in Europe.

Against the background of the current tensions between Russia, NATO and the United States the Young Deep Cuts Commission (YDCC) argues for a separation of arms control, risk reduction and transparency issues on one hand from conflict in and over Ukraine and the issue of European security architecture on the other.

Relations between Russia and the West remain as fraught and tense as they were during the Cold War. At the same time, Russia and the United States have begun discussions on next steps in nuclear arms control. But how can Russia and the United States maintain verifiable limits on strategic nuclear warheads and work on other even harder questions?

For decades, the United States and Soviet Union (later Russia) have co-existed in a dangerous state of mutual nuclear vulnera­bility. It is in the interest of both sides that the Strategic Stability Dialogue (SSD) is effective and productive.

Missile defenses remain an obstacle to U.S.-Russia agreement on a new nuclear arms control accord. Both sides will need to address the offense-defense relationship in the Strategic Stability Dialogue, agreed by President Joseph Biden and Vladimir Putin at their June 2021 Geneva summit.