Russia, as a participating state in the consensus-based Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies, blocked proposals to add quantum computing technologies to the regime’s control lists during the 2022 plenary cycle. The Wassenaar Arrangement requires unanimous consent to update its dual-use and munitions lists, and Russia’s objection prevented multilateral agreement.
According to analysis by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, proposals to add quantum computers and metal additive manufacturing equipment did not move forward. Russia’s participation in the regime became a significant obstacle following the further invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after which Moscow used its effective veto power to block updates across multiple technology categories.
In response, several Wassenaar member states began adopting unilateral or plurilateral export controls on quantum technologies outside the multilateral framework. Spain introduced controls on quantum computers exceeding 34 qubits with certain error thresholds, and the United Kingdom announced new quantum technology control entries. By 2024, an ad-hoc coalition of allied nations implemented quantum controls independently in what became known as the “Wassenaar minus one” approach.