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Russian Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present, and Future

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more secure locations. 80 <strong>Russian</strong> officials have also expressed<br />

alarm about U.S. prompt global strike plans—<br />

the arming of traditionally nuclear-armed strategic<br />

delivery systems with conventional warheads—so<br />

they might want to restrict those further in return for<br />

constraining TNWs. 81<br />

<strong>Russian</strong> government officials might be seeking<br />

to avoid nonstrategic arms control talks in anticipation<br />

that European governments might at some point<br />

decide to request the removal of U.S. TNWs in any<br />

case given a lack of widespread popular support for<br />

NATO’s nuclear mission. Some <strong>Russian</strong> analysts also<br />

seem concerned that any formal negotiations on the<br />

issue would raise the prominence of the issue within<br />

Europe <strong>and</strong> lead NATO members concerned about<br />

<strong>Russian</strong> military power to dem<strong>and</strong> that the alliance<br />

either keep the NATO TNWs or take other steps to<br />

bolster their defenses against Moscow. 82 Finally, several<br />

<strong>Russian</strong> writers have expressed concern that discussing<br />

limitations on nonstrategic nuclear weapons<br />

could undermine the prospects for reforming Russia’s<br />

conventional forces. Not only could opponents of reform<br />

cite the resulting anti-<strong>Russian</strong> rhetoric of East<br />

European NATO members fearful of Moscow, but<br />

they could object to exposing <strong>Russian</strong> vulnerabilities<br />

during the unstable transition period that would arise<br />

between when the existing structure was dismantled<br />

<strong>and</strong> the new one was fully operational. 83<br />

Even if Russia were to agree to enter into formal<br />

nonstrategic negotiations with NATO, it is unclear<br />

how these talks could best be structured. TNW issues<br />

could be discussed in bilateral Russia-U.S. talks devoted<br />

solely to that issue, though Russia has always<br />

resisted that approach <strong>and</strong> Washington’s NATO allies<br />

would not welcome their exclusion. They could also<br />

398

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