Russian Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present, and Future

Russian political system which cannot survive in its
present structure without that presupposition of conflict
and enemies, and a revisionist demand for equality
with the United States so that it is tied down by
Russian concerns and interests. From Russia’s standpoint,
the only way it can have security vis-à-vis the
United States and Europe given that presupposition
of conflict is if America is shackled to a continuation
of the mutual hostage relationship based on mutual
deterrence that characterized the Cold War, so that
it cannot act unilaterally. At the same time, Europe
must be intimidated by the specter of Russian military
power which, given present realities, means nuclear
weapons. To the degree that both sides are shackled
to this mutual hostage relationship, Russia gains a
measure of restraint or even of control over U.S. policy.
For, as Patrick Morgan has observed, this kind of
classic deterrence “cuts through the complexities of
needing to have a full understanding of or dialogue
with the other side.” Instead it enables a state, in this
case Russia, to “simplify by dictating, the opponent’s
preferences” [Italics in the original]. 50 Thanks to such
a mutual hostage relationship, Russian leaders see all
other states who wish to attack them or even to exploit
internal crises like Chechnya as being deterred. Therefore,
nuclear weapons remain a critical component of
strategic stability and, as less openly stated, for giving
Russia room to act freely in world affairs. 51
Indeed, Moscow sees its nuclear arsenal as a kind
of all-purpose deterrent that has deterred the United
States and NATO from intervening in such conflicts
as the Chechen wars and Georgia. Nevertheless, its
military and political leaders, e.g., Serdyukov, the
doctrine which is now official policy, and Colonel-
General Nikolai Solovtsov, Commander in Chief of
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