The V Timerbaev Nuclear Debates were held in the framework of the Seminar on the results of the Project “Oral History of Nuclear Nonproliferation”

REVYAKI, VLADIMIR OBLAST. DECEMBER 23, 2022. PIR PRESS. “The participants of the PIR Center seminar spent quite a long time discussing the functioning of the nuclear arms control regime and the nuclear nonproliferation regime. International Timerbaev Nuclear Debates on a given topic will provide a better understanding of the modern technological component and will make it possible to forecast how new technologies, for example, artificial intelligence, hypersonic weapons, laser, lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWs) and anti-satellite weapons, would affect the development of nuclear nonproliferation, disarmament and arms control in the future”, — Vadim Kozyulin, PIR Center Consultant, Member of PIR Center Executive Board, Head of the Center for Global Studies & International Organizations of the Institute for Contemporary International Studies of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

On December 4, 2022, PIR Center held the V International Timerbaev Nuclear Debates in the framework of the seminar on the results of the project “Oral History of Nuclear Nonproliferation”. This time the topic of the Debates was formulated as follows: “Will new technologies become a factor of strategic instability and a new arms race, or will they have a positive impact on the future of nuclear nonproliferation, disarmament and arms control?”. Vadim Kozyulin, PIR Center Consultant, Member of PIR Center Executive Board, Head of the Center for Global Studies & International Organizations of the Institute for Contemporary International Studies of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, acted as an expert of the Debates. The moderator of the Debates was Elena Karnaukhova, PIR Center Deputy Director and Education & Training Program Director. Vladimir Kuchinov, Member of PIR Center Advisory Board, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations, Institute of International Relations of the National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI” participated in the Debates as an observer and also commented on the agenda.

As part of the Debates, the participants of PIR Center historical seminar were divided into working groups. The affirmative teams were called to find arguments in favor of the following position: “Yes, new technologies will become a factor of strategic instability and a new arms race”, and the negative teams — “No, new technologies will have a positive impact on the future of arms control”.

The working groups were represented by young specialists from Kazakhstan, Russia (Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Saint Petersburg), Tajikistan, Switzerland, and Japan. Arguments prepared by the working groups were presented by representatives of IMOMI Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod — National Research University (UNN), MGIMO University, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Baltic State Technical University “Voenmeh” named after D.F. Ustinov, etc.

This time none of the teams won because the results of the first vote on the given topic coincided with the results of the final vote held after the discussions. In general, most of the Debates participants are of the opinion that new technologies will have negative consequences for the future of nuclear nonproliferation, disarmament and arms control.