(A) arms race
(B) militarism
(C) ** a formal ceasefire
(D) None of the above
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -An armistice is a formal agreement to cease all military operations in a conflict permanently. It ends the war, but it does not establish peace; for that, a peace treaty must be negotiated and ratified. But in an armistice, the parties make a commitment to stop trying to settle their differences on the battlefield.
Concept note-2: -armistice, an agreement for the cessation of active hostilities between two or more belligerents. Generally, the terms, scope, and duration of an armistice are determined by the contracting belligerents.
Concept note-3: -The term ‘ceasefire’ is the antonym of the military expression ‘open fire’ and signifies a call to terminate hostilities. Ceasefire agreements are regularly announced as part of a peace process and can suggest a level of commitment between warring parties to seek an end to armed conflict.
Concept note-4: -An armistice or a cease-fire does not represent an end to hostilities, only a truce (a temporary suspension of hostilities). Furthermore, they do not reflect a juridical end to the state of war. In this respect, they must not be confused with peace agreements, which do reflect an end to a conflict.