Carnegie Moscow Center
Nuclear disarmament faded from media attention after the New START agreement was signed, but it remains a challenge for the world.
Confronting the global challenges in 2011, from the ongoing war in Afghanistan and a rising China to continuing international economic turmoil, will require an understanding how much has changed and the extent to which the center of gravity in global power has shifted.
Moscow's more active policy stance on North Korea serves Russia's strategic, political, and economic interests and could potentially have a positive impact on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Moscow has condemned North Korea’s shelling of the island in the Yellow Sea and expressed concern over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions. When Russians look into the future, they see a reunified Korea under the leadership of the South, and this is reflected in their foreign policy.
While the ongoing handover of power from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang is a potentially dangerous process, it also provides new opportunities for the international community to nudge the North Korean regime in a more open and liberal direction.
Beijing should exercise its unique and major influence with North Korea in order to return peace and stability to the region and to protect China’s own interests.
The recent UN Security Council statement, which condemns the attack on the South Korean patrol ship without naming a perpetrator, reflects the complicated reality of Beijing’s relations with North Korea.
In order to gain China’s vote, the new UN Security Council resolution on the North Korean torpedo attack condemns the act of war, but does not name the perpetrator of the attack.
While tensions are rising on the Korean Peninsula and forecasting the North Korean leadership’s next steps is difficult, none of the parties involved have any interest in further escalation.
The 2010 NPT Review Conference is not a make-or-break moment for the nonproliferation regime. Countries should realize that they each have an opportunity to create positive momentum for further strengthening the regime after the Review Conference.