Lahore, March 21, 2022 (PPI-OT): On January 6, 2022, the Center for Security, Strategy and Policy Research (CSSPR) hosted Mr. Michael Krepon (ace U.S. scholar and Co-founder of the Stimson Center) for a webinar on the future of arms control, that was moderated by Dr. Rabia Akhtar (Director, CSSPR).
Mr. Krepon, who has dealt with issues pertaining to arms control, disarmament, and deterrence, talked about the prospect of, and challenges to, arms control in the context of his newly-published book entitled “Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace: The Rise, Demise, and Revival of Arms Control.” Giving a brief account of his voluminous book, Mr. Krepon argued how, after arming themselves to the teeth, both Washington and Moscow agreed to put a cap on their nuclear forces. That both Cold War rivals were able to enter a golden era of arms control was, according to Krepon, a remarkable achievement.
He lamented that states that once discussed the conditions of establishing nuclear peace, took steps to increase nuclear dangers. Mr. Krepon, while noting how nuclear dangers have increased, stressed the need for making concerted efforts to revive arms control. While arguing that deterrence cannot be strengthened without arms control, he said not only can nuclear states reclaim nuclear peace but also build upon it.
Acknowledging the impediments to arms control, including but not limited to the aggressive doctrines of great powers, Krepon said the challenges in resuscitating arms control are enormous. Responding to Dr. Akhtar’s question on the diminishing role of diplomacy, Mr. Krepon argued that it is imperative to give diplomacy has a future and hence must not be given up. On the importance of leadership, he said arms control cannot be revived by one individual.
He further stressed that 7 nuclear states should sit together and commit themselves to discussing nuclear peace and refraining from bringing their bilateral issues to the fore. Mr. Krepon, mindful of the challenges of emerging technologies and the brewing great-power competition, said that instead of focusing on treaties and reducing numbers, efforts must be made to strengthen the norms of non-testing, non-proliferation, and no-use. Dr. Akhtar ended the discussion by reminding the audience that when nuclear states, like the United States, will damage the non-proliferation regime, with a view to achieving their geopolitical goals, norm-building would become all the more difficult going forward.
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