World ECR | US and allies explore excluding Russia

The United States and its allies are studying how to reorient the Wassenaar Arrangement (“WA”)—the multilateral export control regime—into a “Wassenaar minus one” alliance that excludes Russia.

This is due to growing frustration with the effectiveness of the export control system, according to an analysis released on November 25 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The Washington, D.C., think tank said discussions began at a U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting in January, where officials discussed “whether to exclude Russia from WA or continue to exclude Russia” following Ukraine’s invasion of Ukraine.

The current 42-member Wassenaar regime faces serious limitations, including “a slow decision-making process (which requires unanimous consent from all members), a lack of strategic measures (only one plenary session per year) and a mechanism to oust Russia,” the report states. , long delays.

However, expelling Russia faces significant challenges. “Russia itself will not vote for its own withdrawal, nor will it withdraw from WA. The analysis said that Russia continues to view WA as a means to maintain its international status, “ensure that WA does not target it” and veto Any proposal that could “harm its economic or security interests.”

As an alternative, some like-minded countries have begun implementing parallel export controls outside of the Wassenaar framework, particularly on emerging technologies such as quantum computing and semiconductors, the report said.

The European Commission is also considering a new legal framework that would allow EU countries to impose control measures even if they are vetoed by Russia.