OSCE Security Conference in Vienna Seeks New Approaches to Arms Control and Diplomacy
Against the backdrop of the deepest crisis in the European security architecture since the end of the Cold War, the annual Security Review Conference (ASRC) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has begun at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. Under the current Swiss chairmanship, high-ranking diplomats urged that, despite widespread mistrust and the ongoing war in Ukraine, communication channels be kept open, and arms control be fundamentally modernized.
OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu (l.) and OSCE Chairman and Foreign Minister of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis (r.) emphasized the importance of reforms for the European Security Architecture. / Picture: © OSCE / ID: 664057, (CC BY-ND 4.0)
OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu presented the delegates of the 57 participating States in Vienna with some grim figures: Global military spending reached a historic high of nearly three trillion U.S. dollars in 2025—a dramatic 30 percent increase since 2021 and nearly double the amount at the end of the Cold War. According to United Nations estimates, this figure is on track to double again by 2035. At the same time, investment in multilateralism, diplomacy, and risk reduction is steadily declining.
“This imbalance is unsustainable in the long run,” Sinirlioğlu warned in his opening address. While investment in military deterrence is understandable in uncertain times, he noted, it dramatically increases the risk of miscalculations without accompanying dialogue.
The Historical Foundation in Times of Division
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis, addressed skeptics in his keynote speech who question the organization’s raison d’être amid geopolitical deadlocks. “The OSCE was never designed for times when we all agree,” Cassis emphasized. “It was created specifically for times when we are divided.” He pointed out that even the 1975 Helsinki Final Act was signed not by friends, but by bitter Cold War adversaries, in order to prevent uncontrolled escalations.
Switzerland, which assumed the OSCE Chairmanship in January 2026, is focusing its one-year term primarily on maintaining dialogue, strengthening the OSCE’s capacity to act, and adapting to modern threats. A significant diplomatic success was achieved even before the conference began: After a five-year stalemate, the member states reached an agreement in March on a joint budget for 2026, restoring the organization’s financial capacity to act and institutional resilience.
New Realities: When Drones and AI Transform the Battlefield
A central theme of the two-day conference is the changing nature of modern warfare, as demonstrated daily in Ukraine. Traditional arms control treaties are based on rigid, numerical caps on troop levels and heavy equipment. However, in an era of autonomous weapon systems, drone swarms, artificial intelligence, and hybrid cyberattacks—which can paralyze critical infrastructure far behind the physical front lines—these mechanisms have largely become obsolete.
The situation is exacerbated by the complete collapse of historic agreements. Following the de facto end of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) and the Open Skies Treaty, the “New START” nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia also expired in early 2026. As a result, for the first time in decades, the international community is operating without a functioning nuclear control regime between the two major powers.
Five Pillars for a New Security Architecture
To address this erosion, Secretary General Sinirlioğlu proposed a concrete five-point plan to modernize existing OSCE instruments (such as the Vienna Document):
- Moving away from numerical parity: Focusing on the principle of “adequate sufficiency” of defense capabilities while ensuring transparency regarding offensive capabilities.
- Avoiding destabilizing behavior: Curbing strategic ambiguity and military coercion rather than merely limiting troop numbers.
- Shared situational awareness: Establishing dynamic, joint situational awareness instead of the rigid exchange of historical data.
- Dynamic risk mitigation: Updating emergency and reporting mechanisms in the event of unforeseen troop movements.
- Modernized verification: Adapting inspections to the mobility and technological capabilities of modern armies.
Preparing for the “Window of Opportunity”
The speakers in Vienna were under no illusions that a political realignment would only be realistic after the end of the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, the OSCE must be operationally prepared as soon as diplomatic opportunities arise. “It would be irresponsible not to wait for this, but also not to prepare for it,” warned Cassis, who had visited both Kyiv and Moscow in February as part of exploratory talks.
The discussions will be further explored in September 2026 at a follow-up conference in Bern, where the future of European security will be the focus of debate. Meanwhile, in Vienna, attention is also turning to the next generation: At a joint side event organized by the Swiss Chairmanship and Norway, young thinkers discussed arms control in the digital age. The message of the conference remains unmistakable: Trust takes time, but stability cannot wait.