The past decade has witnessed a growing gap between the magnitude of the security problems demanding multilateral cooperation and the level of leadership devoted to developing an effective international response. Diplomats working to prevent proliferation, eliminate existing nuclear threats, and avert a new round of military competition in space are watching the presidential elections in the United States and Russia. The prospects for diplomacy will differ greatly depending on whether leadership changes bring a renewed commitment to constructive multilateralism, a continued neglect of cooperative security arrangements, or a complete disintegration of key treaty regimes that have helped slow the spread of nuclear weapons, stabilize US-Russian strategic relations, and transform European security relations.
School Authors: Nancy Gallagher, Jaganath Sankaran