MOSCOW, JULY 15, PIR PRESS. – “А third party, be it a country or a non-state actor, can attack critical infrastructure of the US or Russia, making it look as if the aggressor was the other one, thus provoking war between them. In cyber space this is possible. Both the Russian and the US cyber doctrines allow them to react to major cyberattacks with all military means. Therefore, an effective direct communication and de-escalation channels between the two countries are a priority,” – Dr. Elena Chernenko, PIR Center Executive Board Member and Deputy Head of the Kommersant Newspaper Foreign Policy Department.

“Helsinki is a chance – not even for a breakthrough, but for some light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a chance to leave the ‘crisis management’ phase behind, a chance to start defusing the confrontation and mending fences. A chance to send a signal to the rest of the world. The world is waiting” – Dr. Vladimir Orlov, PIR Center’s Founder & Special Advisor, Head of the Center for Global Trends and International Organizations of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“The Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, through its mandate to recommend studies, could be more closely integrated into deliberative processes and negotiations,” — Agenda for Disarmament of Secretary-General “Securing Our Common Future”.