About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

25 Pol. Q. Int'l Aff. 37 (2016)
NATO's Nuclear Deterrence: Closing Credibility Gaps

handle is hein.journals/polqurint25 and id is 39 raw text is: JACEK DURKALEC, MATTHEW KROENIG NATO's Nuclear Deterrence: Closing Credibility Gaps Over the past two years, the European security environment has deteriorated rapidly. Much of the blame for this state of affairs can be pinned on increased Russian belligerence and, most notably, its 2014 invasion of, and ongoing war against, Ukraine. This development is troubling in and of itself, but also for what it might signal about the security of Russia's other neighbours, including NATO members. With a new threat on its doorstep, NATO has responded, including with the the biggest reinforcement ofNATO collective defence since the end of the Cold War.' New measures, such as the Readiness Action Plan (RAP) and the U.S. European Reassurance Initiative (ERI) were necessary enhancements to NATO's conventional forces in order to address the most immediate assurance and deterrence needs. To date, however, NATO's response has not adequately taken into account the integrality of nuclear weapons to the Ukrainian crisis and to Russia's broader military strategy and doctrine. The crisis demonstrates that, at a time when NATO was consciously trying to de-emphasise nuclear weapons in its security policy, Russia has been increasing its reliance on operational nuclear capabilities. Russia's brandishing of nuclear forces and explicit nuclear threats throughout the crisis have exposed serious cracks in the credibility of NATO's nuclear deterrent, and these are fissures that Moscow may seek to exploit in future confrontations. If NATO wishes to deter Russian aggression reliably, its deterrence and defence policy must once again contain a serious nuclear component, and Western leaders must begin the difficult task of revisiting NATO nuclear deterrence policies and postures. The NATO Warsaw Summit provides the 1 Keynote speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the opening of the NATO Transformation Seminar, 25 March 2015, www.nato.int. 37 The Polish Quarterly of International Affairs, 2016, no. I

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most