“NEW” NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT CRISIS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY SYSTEM

Abstract

The article analyzes modern nuclear diplomacy in the context of the crisis in the global international security system caused primarily by Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine and the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. Current events have demonstrated the critical weakness of the existing international nuclear arms control mechanisms, which has led to increased nuclear risks and deepened mistrust between states. Nuclear diplomacy, which since the Cold War has been used to deter conflicts through the threat of retaliation, is currently undergoing profound transformations due to the growth of nuclear blackmail by some states, especially Russia. The article examines the evolution of nuclear diplomacy, starting from the theory of nuclear deterrence based on the works of Thomas Schelling and Robert Jervis to the current challenges associated with the destruction of the system of multilateral treaties, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START III). Particular attention is paid to the analysis of violations of international obligations by Russia, in particular, withdrawal from arms control treaties and the use of nuclear rhetoric as an instrument of geopolitical pressure. The article substantiates the need for a substantial modernization of nuclear diplomacy, its mechanisms and tools to adequately respond to new challenges to global security. The author emphasizes the importance of revising the traditional mechanisms of nuclear diplomacy and searching for new forms of international cooperation, which will significantly reduce the risks of nuclear escalation. The main conclusions of the article emphasize that modern nuclear diplomacy should take into account the new realities in which nuclear powers, such as Russia, are criminally using their nuclear potential to exert political pressure on the international community. In particular, the international community should develop new arms control mechanisms, strengthen multilateral treaties, and increase the responsibility of nuclear-armed states for violating international norms. The article emphasizes that the "new" nuclear diplomacy has a powerful strategic potential as an innovative practice of strengthening, on the one hand, the national security of democratic states and their civilizational subjectivity, and on the other hand, the solidarity of the world and global security in general.