The Arms Control Primer

From hosting US nuclear weapons during the Cold War to pursuing and abandoning its own nuclear ambitions, South Korea offers a revealing case study in deterrence, alliance politics and nuclear hedging on the Korean Peninsula.📩 Join the conversation—follow us on X (@IISS_org), LinkedIn or Instagram (iissorg) or visit the webpage of our Strategy, Technology and Arms Control research programme: Strategy, Technology and Arms Control | IISS Research programme  ‘The Arms Control Primer’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Arms Control Primer, Dr Alexander Bollfrass, Elena Sokova and Dr Alexander Sorg examine Belarus’s journey from hosting Soviet nuclear weapons to relinquishing them after independence and joining the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon state.They explore the disarmament process of the 1990s and assess the implications of Russia’s renewed deployment of nuclear-capable systems on Belarusian territory for arms control and regional security today.📩 Join the conversation—follow us on X (@IISS_org), LinkedIn or Instagram (iissorg) or visit the webpage of our Strategy, Technology and Arms Control research programme: Strategy, Technology and Arms Control | IISS Research programme  ‘The Arms Control Primer’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode of The Arms Control Primer, Dr Alexander Bollfrass speaks with Dr Togzhan Kassenova about Kazakhstan’s legacy as the Soviet Union’s primary nuclear testing site, the human and environmental toll at Semipalatinsk, and the political decision to relinquish the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal. They explore Kazakhstan’s path from inheriting over 1,000 warheads to joining the NPT, shaping the Budapest Memorandum, and championing the TPNW and what its experience means for today’s nuclear risk debates. 📩 Join the conversation—follow us on X (@IISS_org), LinkedIn or Instagram (iissorg) or visit the webpage of our Strategy, Technology and Arms Control research programme: Strategy, Technology and Arms Control | IISS Research programme  ‘The Arms Control Primer’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darya Doltsikova, researcher on nuclear safety with expertise in Ukraine's civilian reactors. Polina Sinovets, scholar of Ukraine's nuclear history and European strategic stability. They trace Ukraine’s Soviet nuclear legacy and the 1990s denuclearization. They discuss the Budapest Memorandum, Russian nuclear coercion during the war, risks to civilian nuclear sites and IAEA operational challenges.

Dr. Hassan Elbahtimy, a War Studies lecturer at King's College London, and Robert Kelley, a seasoned nuclear engineer, delve into Libya's nuclear aspirations from Gaddafi's rise to the 2003 renunciation. They discuss Libya's connections with the A.Q. Khan network and the implications of discovering Pakistani weapon designs. The conversation reveals how political motives and strategic backchannel diplomacy influenced Libya’s nuclear decisions and critiques the concept of the 'Libyan Model' for non-proliferation. Their insights highlight the complexities of verification and the importance of state capacity.

In this episode of The Arms Control Primer, host Dr Alexander Bollfrass speaks with Prof Marina Henke and Dr Andreas Lutsch about Germany’s post-war nuclear trajectory, from early ambitions and NATO’s nuclear-sharing role to the NPT and renewed debates over deterrence amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.📩 Join the conversation—follow us on X (@IISS_org), LinkedIn or Instagram (iissorg) or visit the webpage of our Strategy, Technology and Arms Control research programme: Strategy, Technology and Arms Control | IISS Research programme  ‘The Arms Control Primer’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Professor Anna-Mart van Wyk, a nuclear historian, and Robin E. Möser, a nuclear verification researcher, as they unravel South Africa's intriguing nuclear journey. Discover how apartheid-era policies fostered a secret arsenal, marked by a mysterious 1979 test. They dive into the decision to dismantle the weapons during a political shift, revealing rapid disarmament and the pivotal role of IAEA safeguards. Insights into the political complexities of nuclear disarmament provide valuable lessons for future negotiations and international relations.

Dr. Emma Rosengren, a researcher focused on Swedish nuclear policy, and Dr. Thomas Jonter, an expert in international relations and disarmament, dive deep into Sweden's Cold War nuclear ambitions. They discuss the initial motivations to deter the Soviet Union, the dual-use approach of its nuclear program, and the domestic debates that shaped public opinion. The conversation also covers Sweden's pivotal role in disarmament talks and the impact of its historical non-alignment on current NATO discussions, especially in light of recent geopolitical tensions.

In this episode of The Arms Control Primer, host Alex Bollfrass is joined by Dr Hans Blix and Dr Stephen Herzog to examine Iraq’s nuclear ambitions under Saddam Hussein: from its early civilian programme to clandestine enrichment efforts and the post-Gulf War inspections that reshaped international safeguards and the future of arms control.📩 Join the conversation—follow us on X (@IISS_org), LinkedIn or Instagram (iissorg) or visit the website of our Strategy, Technology and Arms Control research programme: Strategy, Technology and Arms Control | IISS Research programme ‘The Arms Control Primer’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Arms Control Poseur is now the Arms Control Primer!🎙️ Hosted by Alex Bollfrass, Season 5 explores the nuclear past, present, and future by examining countries that once pursued or possessed nuclear weapons but ultimately gave them up.What lessons can their choices teach us about non-proliferation, arms control, and disarmament today?‘The Arms Control Primer’ is a podcast series produced by the IISS Strategy, Technology and Arms Control Programme on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.