...
Burevestnik
nuclear-powered cruise missile and the
Poseidon
nuclear-powered torpedo, as well as the planned deployment of the new
Sarmat
ICBM. Meanwhile, the U.S. was given an ambiguous
directive
from Donald Trump on October 30 “to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.” Yet despite the scale of both the exercises and the announcements, these developments amount to little more than routine measures aimed at maintaining nuclear deterrence.
Since Ukraine launched its first major counteroffensives ...
... have become an internationally recognized taboo and a political and moral threshold that cannot be crossed. Any country using nuclear weapons will be opposed by the entire international community.
After World War II, another significant factor that had ... ... intrigues and power struggles, with never-ending conflicts between monarchies, families, religions, states, and great powers. For thousands of years, wars have been occurring continuously and without interruption. The formation of a unified Europe has changed ...
... Nuclear-armed brigades report directly to the Central Military Commission (CMC), which retains authority over employment of nuclear weapons, whereas conventionally armed rocket brigades operate under the Theatre Commands in both peacetime and wartime ... ... into account its ongoing buildup and the Pentagon’s alarmist projections, which suggest that China could field around one thousand warheads by 2030, this figure still falls well short of the arsenals maintained by the United States and Russia. Claims ...
... material base that could be used in its nuclear programme. Precise information here is also lacking. However, Iran is a large country, and with the political will, its intellectual, scientific, and industrial resources could be sufficient to acquire nuclear weapons in the future.
In pursuing this course, Tehran may well look to the experience of the DPRK. Pyongyang found itself under the harshest UN Security Council sanctions, compounded by unilateral measures introduced by the US and other Western ...
... Nevertheless, Russia would confront a formidable adversary.
Two alternatives exist regarding Russia's potential employment of nuclear weapons in direct conflict with NATO: preemptive tactical strikes against enemy troop concentrations and critical infrastructure; ... ... designation as aggressor and consequent international isolation. The latter, while slightly reducing political costs, still permits accusations that Moscow violated the nuclear taboo first. However, apart from politics, other things are equally important. Both ...
... consequences for the world. First, we have already discussed above that the basis of the modern world order is precisely the existence of nuclear superpowers, with which no one can compare in power. Even if another ten or more countries manage to obtain nuclear weapons, they are unlikely to be able to create such quantities as to threaten the existence of the USA or Russia, not to mention the fate of all mankind. This means that Orwell's “peace that is nopeace” will remain in the foreseeable future.
Second, since volumes comparable to Russia, the USA or, probably, China are not achievable, this does not ...
... have acted purely out of “responsibility” and “sincere commitment to nuclear disarmament” (at least, it would be a positive message to non-nuclear states at the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons).
New START does not necessarily have to end next February: although the treaty does not provide for more than one extension of up to five years, neither does it mention any “suspension.” This is a bilateral accord between sovereign ...
... redoubled its efforts to maintain a balance of power in the missile and nuclear sphere. While adhering to existing international obligations, the country made notable strides in developing advanced missile systems. Yet, the regime governing missile and nuclear weapons continued to deteriorate. In 2019, the Trump administration initiated the withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The INF crisis was preceded by years of mutual accusations, fuelled by new technological realities, the collapse of other arms control mechanisms (including the ABM Treaty), suspicions of new system developments, and the presence of such systems in third countries, notably China. During Trump’s first ...
... outlines how Russia’s nuclear posture has already forced a shift in US strategy—pushing Washington to quietly retreat from its earlier hardline stance on Ukraine.
Below, Karaganov explains why he believes Russia must reject denuclearization, how nuclear weapons remain the ultimate equalizer, and why Western European leaders, in his view, need a reality check.
MK:
If nuclear weapons are to be reduced, perhaps all members of the “nuclear club” should do so, not just Russia and China, which ...
... asymmetrically, a strategy that has often proven successful in the past
Over the past few years, public attention in Russia and abroad has focused on an unprecedented debate within Russian expert and political circles regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons in the context of the armed conflict in Ukraine. In 2024, this debate centered on amendments to Russia’s official Military Doctrine on nuclear deterrence, which were promulgated in November of that year. The issue gained even greater ...
