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US incapable of replicating Cold War-era arms race — Valdai club expert

According to Dmitry Stefanovich, in order to prevent a new unbridled arms race, it is necessary to work on strategic stability as well as the sphere of arms control

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. The United States today is in no position to carry out a Cold War era-style arms race, a blessing for a number of countries who stand to be ruined by such a competition, Dmitry Stefanovich, a researcher of the Center for International Security at the institute of world economy and international relations (IMEMO) under the Russian Academy of Sciences, said at the Valdai Club’s discussion devoted to strategic stability.

"We can still see some arms race in the future, but next to the peak of the Cold War it will look very insignificant to us, simply because now there are far more actors on the international scene and far more opportunities. For some countries, though, such a race could be a disaster. For the United States to play the role it performed last century, in the 70s and 80s will probably be impossible," he believes.

According to Stefanovich, in order to prevent a new unbridled arms race, it is necessary to work on strategic stability as well as the sphere of arms control.

"Arms control gives us some - at least minimal - level of predictability. It allows for making plans for the development of the national armed forces in order to prevent the opponent from suddenly gaining superiority and at the same time to avoid an excessive buildup on our side. For if there is no certainty about what weapons the opponent has, then, naturally, you may start planning your own military development based on the most negative scenarios," the expert said.

On strategic stability

Professor Dmitry Trenin, a researcher at the National Research University Higher School of Economics and a leading researcher at the IMEMO RAS, noted during the discussion that "the world has changed and a multipolar nuclear world, much more complex and far less controllable, has taken shape."

"In today's world, there is no Russian-US strategic stability any more," the expert added. "Now is the time to start seriously discussing strategic stability and deterrence in the multipolar nuclear world in which we live and where the main problem is what to do about American hegemony."

"Experts ought to build not an anti-American world, not an anti-Western world, but a world in which it would be possible not only to redefine strategic stability and deterrence, but also to build relations within the SCO, within a Greater Eurasian Partnership. To build relations that would leave no room for any one country to be hegemon," he concluded.

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