Sir Stephen Lovegrove has raised the specter of “collapse into uncontrolled conflict” unless methods are devised to prevent hostilities and impose controls on the spread of increasingly deadly weapons that are becoming easier to obtain. In a rare and very candid public speech during a visit to the United States, he warned how the mechanisms developed during the Cold War by and between the Western Allies and the then Soviet Union to prevent both sides from trigger a nuclear exchange were no longer sufficient. Russia cuts gas to Europe’s major pipeline – Live news from Ukraine He particularly emphasized concerns about China’s nuclear weapons program. “We have to be honest – strategic stability is at stake,” said Sir Stephen at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He described Russia’s war in Ukraine as a manifestation of a much broader rivalry that is challenging the international order. Analysts see this as a battle of values between the world’s liberal democracies, led by Western allies, and authoritarian states like China and Russia. “As this competition unfolds, we are entering a dangerous new era of proliferation, in which technological change increases the damage potential of many weapons and those weapons are more widely available,” said Britain’s top security official. “We have to start thinking about the new security arrangement.” Image: Sir Stephen Lovegrove became national security adviser in March 2021. Obtaining dangerous weapons becomes easier This included an “urgent” look at two elements that have contributed to maintaining world peace since the end of World War II. First it concerned the ability of the Western allies to prevent attacks from their enemies. The second was a network of international agreements to control the proliferation of weapons, including nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. “The question is how we restore strategic stability for the new era – finding a balance between unprecedented complexity so that there is no collapse into uncontrolled conflict,” said Sir Stephen. “The circle can only be squared if we renew both deterrence and arms control, taking a more expansive and comprehensive approach to both.” Outlining the challenge, Sir Stephen said there was a growing pool of weapons that were becoming easier to obtain – and not just from national governments. This includes cyber weapons, drones, and chemical and biological threats. They may not be enough to spark a war, but they could cause instability with unpredictable consequences. Then there are a number of emerging technologies developed only by the most powerful nations that could “upset the strategic balance,” the national security adviser said. Cyberspace also falls into this category along with “space-based systems, ‘genetic weapons’, nuclear cruise missiles, directed energy weapons and hypersonic glide vehicles,” Sir Stephen said. So-called genetic weapons sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but a member of the US Congress claimed during a security forum in Aspen, Colorado, last week that biological weapons are being developed that use a target’s DNA just for that. face. Follow The Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Concerns about China’s nuclear modernization Britain’s national security adviser also warned of “new nuclear technologies”, singling out China. “We have clear concerns about China’s nuclear modernization program that will increase both the number and types of nuclear weapons in its arsenal,” he said. Sir Stephen said tackling the threat posed by the proliferation of new weapons was a “daunting prospect” and while securing new international agreements with major powers was a long-term goal “there is no immediate prospect” of that happening. Read more: Russia ‘laying groundwork’ to annex territory under its control China is biggest ‘game-changing challenge’, MI5 and FBI chiefs warn As a result, the focus should be on reducing the risk of any escalation, he said. This would involve things like establishing rules of conduct and working to find common ground and mutual benefits between all parties using the particular weapons. The UK, US and other Western allies should also seek to work with as wide a group of countries around the world as possible. Lines of communication should also be kept open with opponents. “We want ‘jaw-jaw not war-war’,” said Sir Stephen, quoting a quote from Winston Churchill. He was speaking ahead of a review next month of a United Nations treaty aimed at limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
