CNS News & Views: March 2022

Middlebury Institute of International Studies

March 2022

Putin’s War with Ukraine: Voices of CNS Experts on the Russian Invasion

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has set in motion a catastrophic war, the consequences of which are tragic. As with all wars, this one also will have many unintended consequences, including with respect to nuclear nonproliferation, arms control, deterrence, disarmament, and risk reduction.

Consistent with the CNS mission of promoting nonproliferation education and analysis, CNS has launched a series of webinars about the nuclear challenges and risks that have arisen as a result of this unfolding crisis.

CNS has also created a portal that provides a compendium of CNS expert analysis and commentary for both an expert and more general audience on the war, with a particular focus on its nuclear ramifications. It also will provide relevant educational materials, links to latest content, and recordings of CNS webinars.

Encouraging Gender Balance in the Nuclear Field through Mentorship, Education, and Networking

Every year, International Women’s Day provides a necessary reminder and opportunity to continue connecting, supporting, and empowering women. CNS’s Adeline du Crest and Margarita Kalinina-Pohl interviewed CNS and VCDNP experts and affiliates to explore challenges women in the nonproliferation field still face, and how mentorship, educational, and network opportunities can contribute to breaking barriers.

Several interviewees mentioned that mentorship and education are crucial starting points towards achieving gender parity in the nuclear field, particularly at the entry-level, and that it is critical these efforts continue. Professional networks geared towards women help reinforce gender parity by providing additional tools and resources to help navigate career paths. Mentorship programs and the challenges they seek to address, however, do not exist in a vacuum, as CNS’s Nomsa Ndongwe observes. She calls for “bringing in diversity of thought and opinion, diversity of individuals” and notes the internal changes that also need to be made, especially by dominant groups, to create a more inclusive space.

Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower Episode 02: Nuclear Weapons and the War in Ukraine: A Conversation with Dr. Mariana Budjeryn

Machiavelli in the Ivory Tower is a videocast series on arms control, nonproliferation, and international security issues. In each episode, hosts Sarah Bidgood and Hanna Notte discuss cutting-edge research and what it means for the most pressing challenges facing policymakers today.

In the second episode of the series, Sarah and Hanna speak with Dr. Mariana Budjeryn, research associate with the Project on Managing the Atom at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. Dr. Budjeryn discusses her new book, Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press 2022). In their conversation, the hosts and guest draw connections between Dr. Budjeryn’s findings and the war in Ukraine, focusing in particular on the implications of Russia’s unprovoked invasion for nonproliferation and arms control and Russia’s spurious allegations that Ukraine is pursuing a nuclear capability.

Watch Episode Two

CNS Survey on Cybersecurity of Export-Controlled Information

CNS is launching a survey on cybersecurity of export-controlled information. The survey is aimed at officials in government agencies, companies, universities, or other organizations that are involved in export control.

This survey is part of a larger initiative to benchmark and identify best practices concerning cybersecurity of export-controlled information. Digital and electronic information associated with export-controlled items can itself be subject to export control. CNS has observed that many export licensing authorities do not set standards or provide guidance on what cybersecurity measures should be in place or what standards should be met. CNS is seeking to build a database of current, global practices using the resulting information gathered through this survey.

Take the survey

Recent Events at the VCDNP

The Vienna Center for Disarmament and Nonproliferation (VCDNP) hosted several events this past month that brought experts together to discuss pressing issues, brainstorm tangible solutions, and prepare for future events. These events included two virtual panel discussions on the A/CPPNM Review Conference and Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and a webinar on Annexes to the Model Additional Protocol in Support of Nuclear Governance.

The first virtual panel discussion took place in advance of the first Review Conference of the A/CPPNM, several recommendations were generated and can be found here. The second virtual panel discussion engaged a panel of internationally recognized experts who offered a humanitarian perspective on nuclear weapons, potential impacts, and on the negotiation of the TPNW treaty itself. The webinar on a new report launched by Research Associate Noah Mayhew presents an impartial, technical analysis of technologies that are not covered by the Annexes of the Model Additional Protocol, but are significant in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of IAEA safeguards.