Russian Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present, and Future

itary-political relations with West and eager to compromise
on arms control. However, internal political
bickering between Yeltsin and the leaders of the State
Duma prevented the government from assuring ratification
of the key arms control agreement negotiated
with the United States—the Strategic Arms Reduction
Treaty II (START II). 35 By the time of his voluntary resignation
on December 31, 1999, Russian foreign and
internal policies appeared to be heading into an impasse.
In effect, the RF was standing on the brink of
chaos and imminent national disintegration.
THE VLADIMIR PUTIN PRESIDENCY
In sharp contrast, Yeltsin’s hand-picked successor,
originally a little-known apparatchik, Vladimir V. Putin
36 could become not only a widely popular Russian
leader, but actually a symbol of Russian economic and
political revival. 37 Putin worked consistently to create
a new nation-wide ruling elite based strongly on personal
devotions and vassal-type dependencies. The
construction of a rigid “vertical of power” 38 and the
use of blunt force in subduing regional secessionism,
while criticized as “overly authoritarian,” 39 strengthened
the central authority and eliminated much of the
centrifugal tendencies in Russian regions. Confining
Islamic radicalism and terrorist activities predominantly
to southern Russia created a sense of relative
security in populous hinterland regions.
Under Mr. Putin, a considerable effort was devoted
to filling in the “ideological void” created by the
disappearance of communist ideology and the Soviet
propaganda apparatus. 40 In the search for the new “national
idea,” 41 wide use was made of traditional tools
of social mobilization in Russia—nationalism, religion
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