International security is not a center of the world, but a reflection of profound processes that nowadays are characterized by a growing randomness and shrinking planning horizon. Confidence, privacy and confidentiality of diplomacy are deteriorating. Ensuring security requires not only technical, but also political decisions. Under such circumstances the aim of the Russian foreign policy is to find a balance between development and security amidst an incoming new wave of globalization. To secure its status of a great power, Russia needs to preserve its relevance among other players and play a role of additional element to the situation of unsteady equilibrium.

“In this transitional period, further strengthening of the dialogue with external partners, in particular BRICS-Plus, is of paramount importance. The absence of the states of the Middle East and Southeast Asia in the “club” at present limits the potential for the formation of a BRICS partner network. Whereas the “club” has a generally strong membership, so far, none of the states of the Islamic world participates in BRICS. This creates a certain imbalance, even though the Muslim population makes up a significant share in two of the five BRICS countries (India and Russia)”, ‒ PIR Center's report on the prospects of BRICS enlargement from the point of view of international security and Russia's interests.

On the November 16 the U.S. conducted a successful test of the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missile. The target of interceptor missile imitated an ICBM. The editorial board decided to talk to an expert about the way such test may influence strategic stability.  During the interview Oleg Krivolapov, research fellow of the Institute of USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Nikita Degtyarev, Coordinatorof the PIR CenterInformation & Publications Program, about the influence of the SM-3 Block IIA test on strategic stability, threat to Russian strategic systems and the future of the U.S. antimissile system.

“Today, feeling the amazing energy of the participants of the XX Anniversary School, of my colleagues and, of course, of those, who we call the PIR Center Community, I want to point out that we are moving in the right direction. Thanks to our common efforts, the PIR Center has crossed a quarter-century threshold and continues to be active, for what I want to express my special thanks to members of our “organized non-governmental community”, ‒ Vladimir Orlov, Founder and Director of the PIR Center.   

“The documents declassified by the Clinton Presidential Library are a unique source that allows to get acquainted with the history and evaluate cooperation of the two leaders and their aspirations in the field of nonproliferation”, – PIR Center intern Evgeny Kholodnov.

“The International School of PIR-Center is distinguished by its high-quality events as well by its thought out approach to the educational program. The fact that the School was held outside Moscow significantly helped us to get to know each other better and become a strong team. Moreover, since the participants are working and studying in different places, the School could considerably improve the efficiency of interagency interaction” ‒ participant of the International School, Master’s graduate of the Faculty of International Relations, MGIMO University, Darya Pakhomova.  

Today is a very important day for the United States of America and indirectly for Russia. On November 3, presidential elections are held in the United States, the result of which will identify a framework of its further domestic policy as well as the foreign for the next four years (including its relations with Russia in particular).

The article analyzes NATO nuclear sharing arrangements and examines the history of the concept of nuclear sharing, based on archival documents, and its practical implementation at the present stage. The authors pay special attention to the positions of the countries in whose territory American tactical nuclear weapons are stored, as well as to the speeches of countries against nuclear sharing at the PrepComs of the Review Conference. The authors give a list of reasons why NATO might benefit from changing its inflexible approach to nuclear sharing.

"On October 24, Honduras ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), becoming the fiftieth State-Party of the Treaty," which anticipated not only the entry into force of the Treaty scheduled for January 22, 2021, but also an immediate negative reaction from Russia and the United States. Stressing its adherence to the balance of power formed within the NPT framework, Russia expressed a number of warnings regarding both the substantive and ideological parts of the Treaty: “there are no actual legal lacunas in nuclear disarmament that need to be filled with the TPNW, nuclear disarmament can only be built on the basis of consensus of all interested parties, the TPNW ignores the strategic context and the current state of international security." In particular, the point of view was supported by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova. The American administration proceeds from a similar position, pointing out that the treaty not only "lacks the necessary verification mechanism", but also "undermines regional security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region." These prerequisites clearly indicate that the TPNW will become a sensitive subject of acute debates at the upcoming NPT Review Conference 2021. - this is the main note of the 526th issue of the Yaderny Kontrol bulletin.

The international relations system has been in the process of transformation since the early 1990-s. The unfulfilled unipolar project, which was being constructed by the USA, is transforming into a more just multipolar world order, which the future of world development belongs to. At the same time one can observe some countries pursue their foreign policies through strength, see the ideologization and militarization of international relations. The United States purposefully destroys the arms control system, develops the global missile defense system, withdrew from the INF Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty, does not agree to extent the New START.