SYP UK
By SYP Podcast
We hope to use the podcast medium to bring forward conversations about ethical sciences, weapons of mass destruction and more. To hear more about us, follow us on Twitter @/SYPugwash_UK or visit our website britishpugwash.org
SYP UKJul 07, 2023
The Power of Latent Nuclear Powers & What's Next for the TPNW with Dr. Leonardo Bandarra | Nuclear Diplomacy Ep. 4
In November 2023 delegations came together for the Second Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). A much-discussed agreement, this treaty exemplifies the influence latent nuclear powers, for example, can have on the normative framework shaping the global nuclear order.
But what even are latent nuclear powers and how can nun-nuclear states impact international diplomacy? To what extent must we differentiate states such as Brazil and Germany in this category? What is the humanitarian initiative and why are NATO member states reluctant to join the TPNW, despite their support for the NPT?
In this episode we are joined by Dr. Leonardo Bandarra, a postdoctoral researcher at the University Duisburg-Essen in Germany, who also worked for the Middle East Treaty Organization, to discuss these and other questions. Together we dive into the complexities of non-nuclear powers and their role in nuclear diplomacy, and talk about his impressions at the New York conference.
Leonardo provides us with an insightful and absolutely fascinating perspective on the factors driving and constraining the politics of non-nuclear powers. He also shares with us his thoughts on the difficulties and prospects for the TPNW, and what future disarmament may look like in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Dr. Leonardo Bandarra
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardo-bandarra-12b274110/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leocbandarra
Student/Young Pugwash UK
- Website: https://britishpugwash.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/british-pugwash/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SYPugwash_UK
German Student/Young Pugwash
- Website: https://www.sypgermany.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/student-young-pugwash-germany/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GermanSYP
Limits to Russian nuclear coercion & what is next for Ukraine with Dr Polina Sinovets | Nuclear Diplomacy Ep. 3
Nuclear weapons play a pivotal role in the war on Ukraine. Russia has made use of nuclear coercion against Ukraine and sought to deter the West from delivering weapons and other forms of support. However, its nuclear power alone has ultimately not secured victory on the battlefield.
Where are the limits to Russia's instrumentalisation of its nuclear forces? How is Russia's violation of the Budapest Memorandum impacting the global nonproliferation regime? Why is Ukraine so keen on joining the EU and NATO, instead of becoming the next Israel or Austria?
In the third episode of the Nuclear Diplomacy podacst, we are joined by Dr Polina Sinovets to shed light on these, and other important questions. The head and founder of the Odesa Center for Nonproliferation, and with an immense knowledge in Deterrence Theory and US-Russian relations, Dr Sinovets is one of the leading figures in the nuclear field.
She speaks to us about following academic passions, becoming the master of your own castle, and the XIII OdCNP International Summer School amid an ongoing war.
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This episode has been conducted in collaboration with German Student/Young Pugwash.
Deterrence and Diplomacy in Iran & Ukraine with Darya Dolzikova | Nuclear Diplomacy Ep. 2
What does Nuclear Diplomacy look like in action? Nuclear diplomacy works differently in each case. Nuclear weapons can be used for coercion or to incentivise the maintenance of diplomatic dialogue between two countries. In this episode, we are taking a closer look at two example cases of how that may turn out: Iran and Ukraine.
What is the background of Iran's nuclear program, and what has happened to the JCPOA? Why are experts concerned with the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine?
To discuss this, we are joined by RUSI Fellow Darya Dolzikova. Together we explore the Iranian nuclear programme and nuclear safety in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.
Darya talks to us about her experience in researching nuclear affairs, including overlooked areas such as nuclear financing and sanctions evasions. Turn in as she shares with us what we should keep an eye on - you don’t want to miss this!
The facilitating effect of nuclear weapons in states' foreign policy with Dr Mark Bell | Nuclear Diplomacy Ep. 1
Nuclear weapons are often only acknowledged as instruments of deterrence, but they also hold immense influence on shifting the balance of power - so are they "magic bullets" after all?
How do nuclear weapons affect states' foreign policy calculations? Why do we see diverging types of behaviour by different nuclear weapons states? Do these national perspectives change over time?
In this episode, we are joined by Dr Mark Bell, associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, to discuss how nuclear weapons facilitate a range of foreign policy options. We'll be taking a more in-depth view of Dr Bell's theory of nuclear opportunism and his observations about nuclear weapons states' learning process. We'll also explore some of the remaining gaps and mysteries in the scientific literature, and how they are linked to students' motivation to get out of bed in the morning.
This episode is part of the British Student/Young Pugwash Nuclear Diplomacy mini-series. Find out more about British Pugwash and SYP at http://britishpugwash.org or https://twitter.com/SYPugwash_UK?s=20