Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO.pdf - Program on Strategic ...

tions about what to do with their NSNWs. Thus Russia’s
self-image can <strong>and</strong> does have an impact on many
other aspects of military thinking.
CONCLUSION
While Russia’s perspective on NSNWs deals significantly
with military questions, then, it also has to
take account of important political factors. Of those,
elite perceptions are very important, because it is elites
who make foreign <strong>and</strong> military policies. 2 Although
Russia’s political system, by design <strong>and</strong> by culture,
is more centralized than most declared democracies,
it still matters to Russian leaders what their populace
thinks of them—the only explanation for why leaders
go so far out of their way to engage the public in discussion
or draw the public’s attention to their courageous
exploits. With approval ratings of between 88
percent <strong>and</strong> 57 percent since 2008—at least prior to the
recent highly publicized popular protests—both former
President Dmitry Medvedev <strong>and</strong> newly elected
President Putin possess significant political capital to
spend on Russian foreign <strong>and</strong> military policies. 3 As the
Russian presidential election of March 2012 recedes, it
is well to remember that the Russian leader will lead
from his domestic strength.
ENDNOTES - CHAPTER 4
1. Most participants agreed that no negotiations could commence
until after the U.S. presidential elections, putting off efforts
to 2013 at the earliest.
2. In most nations, including in the United States, the audience
for foreign <strong>and</strong> military policies is much smaller than that
for domestic policies.
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