Sher Ali Kakar<\/p>\n
For many years, the pillars of international arms con\u00adtrol have been crumbling due to a lack of coopera\u00adtion and consensus on crucial issues among major powers. Agreements signed between the United States and Russia during the Cold War aimed at reducing nucle\u00adar risks, preventing the costly arms race, and ex\u00adercising strategic restraint are losing their effec\u00adtiveness and durability. As the trust gap between Washington and Moscow widens, major treaties signed between them have become threadbare or entirely defunct. Notably, the US unilaterally with\u00addrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002, raising concerns for Russia. In 2021, Russia with\u00addrew from the Treaty on Open Skies. The extension of the New START Treaty in early 2021 was the only hope of lim\u00aditing military activities and strengthening the arms control regime. However, the agreement expires in 2026, with no further extension in sight given the increased tensions be\u00adtween the US and Russia after the Russia-Ukraine war. This, in turn, intensifies misunderstandings and leads to an esca\u00adlated arms race between the military rivals.
\nAnother blow to arms control would be the resumption of nuclear tests, as it weakens a major arms control agreement\u2014the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Signed in 1996, the CTBT was a major step to prohibit \u201cany nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion.\u201d However, as geopolitical competition rises between major powers, they may resort to nuclear testing and reconsider their commit\u00adments to refrain from it. Nuclear testing raises the significance of nuclear capability and serves as a way of power projection and nuclear supremacy. While more than 175 countries have currently signed and ratified it, the CTBT has yet to enter into force. More importantly, countries considered more likely to be capable of testing have not ratified it. A resumption of nu\u00adclear testing would diminish the possibility of the treaty\u2019s en\u00adtry into force. It also diminishes the hope that the CTBT\u2019s com\u00admitment of all members not to carry out any nuclear weapons test explosions or other nuclear explosions will ever come into effect. A test by one state would likely be responded to by the other, thus increasing the risk of nuclear escalation. In particu\u00adlar, the end of the moratorium on nuclear testing or non-com\u00adpliance with the objective and purpose of the treaty would in\u00adcrease the potential of nuclear proliferation and encourage other states to consider nuclear capability.
\nSince its withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), North Korea has carried out six underground nuclear tests, from 2006 to 2017, and is reportedly prepar\u00ading to conduct another nuclear test in the near future. In addition, on October 18, 2023, Russia withdrew from the CTBT, a major move that has escalated its nuclear risk pos\u00adture amid increased tensions with the US in the aftermath of its war with Ukraine. Very recently, Russia accused the US of nuclear testing site activity, which the US rejects. Like\u00adwise, there are indications about potential Indian nucle\u00adar tests, which if conducted would further complicate the South Asian regional security environment, instigating an arms race and increasing the risks of conflict.<\/p>\n
Courtesy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sher Ali Kakar For many years, the pillars of international arms con\u00adtrol have been crumbling due to a lack of coopera\u00adtion and consensus on crucial issues among major powers. Agreements signed between the United States and Russia during the Cold War aimed at reducing nucle\u00adar risks, preventing the costly arms race, and ex\u00adercising strategic restraint […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[13327],"class_list":["post-395002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-article","tag-sher-ali-kakar"],"yoast_head":"\n