The 'P5' Process: Prospects for Enhancement
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Deep Cuts Working Paper No. 3, January 2015 THE ‘P5’ PROCESS: PROSPECTS FOR ENHANCEMENT by Alexey Arbatov THE ‘P5’ PROCESS: PROSPECTS FOR ENHANCEMENT Introduction Ever since his return to the Kremlin in 2012, However up until now these efforts have Putin has encouraged Russia to emphasize been fruitless. and modernize its nuclear weapons in order to enhance nuclear deterrence1. At the The United States’ official view on this same time Russia’s leadership had repeatedly subject is muter and does not have the same mentioned the impact of nuclear arsenals sense of urgency, as that of Russia. Hence, in belonging to countries other than the United Summer of 2013 the U.S. President Barack States and Russia on the global strategic Obama proposed to Russia further strategic balance and the prospects for U.S.-Russian arms reductions (down to about 1,000 war- nuclear arms control. Thus, on the eve of heads) without reference to third nuclear we- the 2012 Russian presidential elections, apon states’ engagement in the process. Still, Putin expressed his views on the subject as Washington would probably also endorse an element of his presidential program on their joining nuclear disarmament at some the matters of defense and security: “…We future time, in particular regarding China. [allegedly Russia and the United States] will not disarm unilaterally. As for further steps Most importantly, the idea of bilateral and Both principal avenues in nuclear disarmament, those steps should multilateral nuclear disarmament is conside- of nuclear arms control: be comprehensive in nature, and all nuclear red the indispensable precondition to nuc- further U.S.-Russian powers should participate in the process. We lear non-proliferation. In the famous Article nuclear disarmament cannot disarm while other nuclear powers VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and enhancement of are increasing their arms.”2 Speaking at the it clearly states: “Each of the Parties to the nuclear non-prolifera- National Research Nuclear University, an eli- Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in tion – imply an ex- te Russian college, in January 2014, Russian good face on effective measures relating to pansion of the nuclear President Vladimir Putin made the following cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early disarmament format. statement: “My personal position is that at date and to nuclear disarmament…”4 Since some point, humanity must renounce nuc- the United States, Russian Federation, Great lear arms. But for now, we are far from this, Britain, France and China (‘P5’) are the only in the sense that other nations aside from nuclear weapons states-Parties to the NPT, Russia have nuclear arms as well—and many recognized as legitimate NWS by the Treaty, of them—and they are not going to renoun- this demand unquestionably relates to them. ce this means of armed combat. Such a step Hence, both principal avenues of nuclear by the Russian Federation would be very arms control: further U.S.-Russian nuclear strange in these conditions, and could lead disarmament and enhancement of nuclear to some fairly serious, grave consequences non-proliferation – imply an expansion of for our nation and our people.”3 the nuclear disarmament format. The third nuclear weapon states (TNWS), namely Bri- Apparently this idea has risen to the highest tain, France and China logically seem to be political level in Russia, and it is affecting the first candidates for joining nuclear arms Moscow’s official position as a precondition limitation and reduction agreements. A few for further nuclear arms reductions following years ago this idea was officially formalized the U.S.-Russian New Strategic Arms Re- in the so called ‘P5’ forums. duction Treaty (New START), due to expire in 2021. Ever since the time of Strategic However this seemingly robust concept Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT-I) of 1972 and endeavor turned to be a trap. The “P5” Moscow has been trying to capture third meetings produced a forum for interesting nuclear weapon states’ forces (NWS) by arms discussions and constructive general docu- limitation provisions, foremost having in ments, but failed to achieve the principal view U.S. nuclear allies – Britain and France. stated goal: engagement of TNWS in the Page 2 THE ‘P5’ PROCESS: PROSPECTS FOR ENHANCEMENT process of nuclear arms limitations and reductions. It looks like there is no prospect of reaching this goal in the future for reasons beside the negative political environment, brought by the Ukrainian crisis of 2013- 2014. Even in case of political resolution of the current crisis and improved international environment, the “P5” format does not seem promising for the task assigned to it. Quite different assumptions, ways and formats would be needed. These issues are addressed below. 1. Origins and Achievements of the ‘P5’ Process. The initial idea of the endeavor was put forward by Des Browne, then UK Defense Chinese Type 908 replenishment ship at the port of Malta, March 2013. Copyright: Martin Brayley. Secretary, in February 2008 at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva. The first meeting took place in London in Septem- Many provisions were addressed to the ber 2009. The second was convened in Paris enhancement of the NPT and its regimes, in in June 2011, the third - in Washington in particular: universalization of the 1997 Ad- June 2012. The fourth ‘P5’ meeting was in ditional Protocol to NPT nuclear safeguards, Washington in April, 2013 and the fifth – in strengthening export controls, supporting Beijing in April of 2014. the Nuclear Suppliers Group and Zangger Committee, preventing nuclear terrorism. For During this period the parties negotiated and this purpose, in particular, the group called for adopted a number of general documents, securing all nuclear materials within four years which gradually were becoming more and more – in line with the appeal of President Obama. Even in case of routine and similar to each other. Those docu- The ‘P5’ called for implementation of the UN political resolution of ments universally underlined the intention of Security Council Resolution 1540 and the the current crisis and the parties to create the conditions for further International Convention for the Suppression improved international progress under NPT Article VI, discussed stra- of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Also the parties environment, the “P5” tegic stability, measures for better mutual con- urged all states to apply the IAEA recommen- format does not seem fidence and transparency. They called for the dations on the Physical Protection of Nuclear promising for the task entry into force of the Comprehensive Nucle- Material and Nuclear Facilities. assigned to it. ar-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), emphasized the importance of negotiations on a Fissile Material Since the 2011 Paris meeting the ‘P5’ made ef- Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), encouraged all states forts to better prepare for the 2015 NPT Re- to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention view Conference. In particular the importance (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons of implementation of the Action Plan adopted Convention (BTWC). Much attention was by the 2010 NPT Review Conference was dedicated to calling on Iran to comply with the underlined. The group discussed the progress UN Security Council Resolutions and coope- made towards signature of the Protocol to the rate with the IAEA, as well as to urging North Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear We- Korea to agree to the complete and verifiable apon Free Zone (SEANWFZ), endorsed the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. establishment of the Central Asian Nuclear Page 3 THE ‘P5’ PROCESS: PROSPECTS FOR ENHANCEMENT Weapon Free Zone and supported the plan of 2. Questioning the Basic convening a Conference on the establishment of a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destructi- Assumptions on (WMD) free zone. The principal deficiency of the ‘P5’ nuclear Beside the mentioned documents the ‘P5’ initiative was applying the model of multilate- process produced some practical results. One ral arms control over various nuclear activities of these was the creation of the working group to the “hard core” arms control of partial and (led by China) on the Glossary of key nuclear phased limitation and reduction of nuclear terms, which made a big progress with the aim weapons – i.e. delivery vehicles and warheads. of completing the first phase of the Glossary by the 2015 NPT Review Conference. Ano- The first model has been relatively successful ther working group was created to deal with in achieving since 1963 several nuclear test- nuclear verification issues. ban treaties (culminating in the signing of the CTBT in 1996), the NPT in 1968, as well as While recognizing some usefulness of the a number of treaties on non-deployment of discussions and documents of the meetings, nuclear weapons in various spaces (i.e. Outer it should be pointed out that the ‘P5’ did no Space Treaty of 1967, which prohibited the tangible progress towards its main initial goal: deployment of WMD in space, and the Treaty engaging all five NWS in the nuclear disar- of 1971, prohibiting such deployment on the mament process through involving Britain, Seabed and Ocean Floor), as well as in various France and China in practical negotiations geographic regions (nuclear weapon or WMD and agreements. The routine common positi- free zones). Also this collective model was The trap of the ‘P5’ nuc- on of the latter three states has been that the implemented in total prohibition and phy- lear process was that U.S. and Russia should reduce their nuclear sical elimination of the whole two classes of its concept stemmed weapons arsenals to bring them closer to the WMD: by the Chemical Weapons Conven- directly from the NPT UK, French and Chinese force levels as a pre- tion of 1993 and the Biological and Toxin Article VI. Thus the NPT condition for negotiating common reductions Weapons Convention of 1972.