The shadow balance: ethical issues of global arms trade

Abstract

Arms trade is one of the important, early and widely developed forms of economic connection between producers of different countries from ancient times to the era of modern globalisation. The international arms trade has gone through a rather long, evolutionary path of development, from one-time commercial deals to large-scale cooperation within the framework of industrial cooperation, the result of which is the formation and activity of modern transnational military companies. The formation of international trade is connected with the process of the world market, which begins in the last period of the 15th century and reaches its development in the 19th century, when the capitalist mode of production took its perfect form. However, the arms trade originates from the ancient period and the emergence of commodity-monetary relations. Despite the comprehensiveness of international law and local legal frameworks, there are political-ethical questions regarding the global arms trade. The twenty-first century is the era of digital and artificial intelligence. Arms production was also adapted to the mentioned basic conditions. These kinds of technologies play a positive role in global order and regional deterrence, but also pave the way for terrorist organisations and their affiliated countries. The article discusses the ethical aspects, forms and challenges of the global arms trade. The examples of Israel and Ukraine are given as a comparative analysis. The article draws on international legal documents, papers and other academic resources.