Arms Control and Strategic Stability with Russia: The View from Europe

Washington, December 14, 2021— The United States and Russia have completed two rounds of strategic stability talks and have agreed to a basic plan of work on arms control and related issues. While this dialogue with Russia is an important pillar of the bilateral relationship, Moscow’s military buildup on Ukraine’s border threatens to derail any nascent progress. Absent Russian escalation in Ukraine, however, the US-Russia strategic stability dialogue will provide a critical venue for increasing needed guardrails on U.S. and European relations with Russia.

A new policy brief from the Center for a New American Security’s Transatlantic Forum on Russia identifies European allies and partners’ views, interests, and concerns about America’s emerging dialogue with Russia on arms control and strategic stability. The brief was authored by Jon Wolfsthal and Andrea Kendall-Taylor and informed by a series of dialogues with leading experts from both sides of the Atlantic.

It underscores, in particular, the need for consistent and constructive consultation between the United States and its allies and partners about the potential dangers posed by Russia and potential approaches to pursuing greater stability. The broader the definition of strategic stability that is used, the greater the need will be for consultation. Such consultation and awareness of Allies’ interests and concerns will be key to alliance management and the continued success of the alliance in the decades to come..

For more information or to schedule an interview with the authors, please contact Sydney Simon at ssimon@cnas.org.