Marshall Center and German Marshall Fund, Team Up on Virtual Seminar on Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control

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Marshall Center and German Marshall Fund, Team Up on Virtual Seminar on Nuclear Deterrence and Arms Control

By College of International Security Studies
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Feb. 17, 2022) – The Marshall Center and Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund conducted a joint, half-day seminar on February 15. This seminar addressed current issues and prospects for nuclear deterrence and arms control within European and global security. These online discussions took place online among 55 officials and experts from 20 countries across Europe and North America.

Seminar sessions focused on questions; including, the impacts of new technologies, China’s expanding nuclear arsenal, British and French deterrents, the U.S. nuclear posture review and NATO strategic concept, missile defense, proliferation threats, the approach of the new German government, and ways the Russia-Ukraine crisis might open or foreclose arms control opportunities. Featured speakers included Amb. Rüdiger Bohn of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Brad Roberts of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Dr. Claudia Major of the German Institute of International and Security Affairs (SWP), Dr. James Cameron of the Oslo Nuclear Project, and former U.S. Undersecretary of State and NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller of Stanford University. Dr. Moritz Kütt of Hamburg University and Dr. Sharon Weiner of American University presented an adapted version of their Nuclear Biscuit simulation.  

Marshall Center professor Dr. Matthew Rhodes noted that many speakers and participants underlined the unfortunate urgency of the topic as well as the need to deepen and widen understanding of it across new generations in the policy community. The event extended strong cooperation between the Marshall Center and Marshall Fund in advancing transatlantic understanding of critical international issues. 

Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, GMF vice president and director of the Berlin office, highlighted the need to revive and strengthen arms control frameworks in the light of the Russia crisis as well as global nuclear weapons build-ups. He emphasized the importance for close coordination among transatlantic allies on changes to deterrence postures and treaty efforts to strengthen Western unity and leverage on the global stage.