Great power identity in Russia’s position on autonomous weapons systems

Figures & data

Table 1. Examples of statements associated with Russian great power identity.

Theme	Concept	Example of statement
Global governance of AWS	Promotion of multipolarity	“The opinion of a group of states parties, including the opinion of the Russian Federation, which believe that international law, including international humanitarian law, is fully applicable to LAWS and does not need to be modernized or adapted in relation to the specifics of these systems, is completely ignored. The opinion of states parties which are against the development of any legally binding international instrument in relation to LAWS and a ban on the development of such systems and technologies is ignored. We think it is unacceptable” (August 10, 2021 16:53:54).
	Equal participation	“The Russian Federation proceeds from the premise that the examination of new issues within the CCW should be carried out in the most careful, a balanced and considered manner, taking to account both humanitarian concerns and legitimate defense interests of States” (2017c, para. 14).
Human control	Promotion of multipolarity	“The determination of the meaningfulness of [human] control would be a value judgement and would be purely subjective. Thus, this concept, in the right hands, could become a tool for the implementation of narrowly focused national interests” (March 26, 2019 16:00:32).
	Equal participation	“It is individual states who should decide on their own how they will determine this [human] control, because these states and citizens of these states have full responsibility of the development and use of these technologies” (September 27, 2021 11:38:06).
Perception of technology	Promotion of multipolarity	“We call for avoiding hasty decisions that could hinder technological progress. It is necessary to ensure that ongoing research in the field of peaceful robotics and artificial intelligence is not compromised. It is important to bear in mind that views on and attitudes towards technology in society may change over time, as more experience is being gained in its application” (2021b, para. 6).
	Equal participation	“The Russian Federation believes that work on developing a working definition and basic functions of LAWS should be carried out in an utmost open manner involving the maximum number of experts working on various aspects of this integrated and multidimensional topic. At the same time, the principle of equitable geographical representation should be adhered” (2018, para. 8).