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

modify the Alliance’s nuclear posture in order to synchronize
it with the U.S. NPR, others such as France
want to avoid spelling out the conditions under which
<strong>NATO</strong> would use or not use nuclear weapons.
At the same time, a new arms control group, the
<strong>Weapons</strong> of Mass Destruction (WMD) Control <strong>and</strong>
Disarmament Committee (WCDC), has been established
within <strong>NATO</strong>. The WCDC was created at the
insistence of Germany <strong>and</strong> in spite of opposition from
France. <strong>NATO</strong> agreed on the WCDC m<strong>and</strong>ate to examine
possible “reciprocal measures aiming to reinforce
<strong>and</strong> increase transparency, mutual trust, <strong>and</strong>
confidence with Russia.” There is some disagreement
whether the WCDC will continue to exist beyond the
2012 summit. 30 Four countries, with support of six
other <strong>NATO</strong> members, have proposed a set of transparency
<strong>and</strong> confidence-building measures to break
the arms control deadlock on TNWs with Russia. But
<strong>NATO</strong> member states are deeply divided on what
kind of relations the Alliance should have with Russia.
The United States <strong>and</strong> some western European
countries would like to pursue a strategic partnership
with Russia, while some Central <strong>and</strong> East Europeans
are unwilling to accommodate Russian security interests.
This fundamental difference in approaches has
hampered <strong>NATO</strong>’s efforts to develop <strong>and</strong> pursue a
coherent arms control policy towards Russia. <strong>NATO</strong>
also hopes to link any reductions in its TNW holdings
to reciprocal Russian cuts. In the conventional arena,
<strong>NATO</strong> insists on implementation of the adapted CFE
Treaty, which is built on the assumption of strategic
parity between the East <strong>and</strong> West. Russia <strong>and</strong> Belarus
have signed the adapted CFE Treaty, but the Western
bloc has not. Russia suspended the CFE data exchange
in 2007, <strong>and</strong> <strong>NATO</strong> followed suit at the end of 2011,
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