Russian Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present, and Future

the problem, from a Russian perspective: cooperation
on missile defenses would be a step in this direction.
NATO needs to adjust its near term goals, away from
the acquisition of additional territories and dependencies
(read: Ukraine and Georgia) and toward a “Great
Northern Alliance” concept that includes Russia as a
security partner, if not a member.
The third level of analysis, derivative of the first
two, is further Russian-American movement on nuclear
arms reductions, with the potential for spillover
into nonproliferation. Will the New START agreement,
once ratified and brought into force lead necessarily,
or inevitably, to progress on nuclear nonproliferation
under the leadership of Moscow and Washington? A
great deal depends on the priorities placed by each
side on nonproliferation, compared to other foreign
policy issues. 57 The United States and Russia can do
little without cooperation from other nuclear weapons
states, especially the other permanent members of the
UN Security Council (P-5): the UK, France, and China.
Iran and North Korea are imminent test cases for the
viability of the current nuclear nonproliferation regime,
but even the most favorable outcomes in these
cases do not preclude other challenges. 58 Regardless
the trials and tribulations of interstate proliferation,
nonstate actors, especially terrorists, present additional
challenges guaranteeing sleepless nights.
ENDNOTES - CHAPTER 9
1. Eben Harrell, “A Surprising Consensus on Nuclear Nonproliferation,”
Time.com, June 2, 2010, available from www.time.
com/time/printout/0,8816,1993339,00.html.
2. Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Verification,
Compliance and Implementation, “The New START Trea-
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