A Russian persepctive on the future of nuclear weapons

Book · Thu Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:105171

Kapranov, N V ^[1]

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1. Iternational Foundation for the Survival and Development of Humanity, Moscow (Russian Federation)

Today it is commonly acknowledged that nuclear weapons are more of a political than a strictly military instrument. Their presence or absence, their sizes and types, and the scenarios which might result in their use are some of the most important expressions of governmental policy. In this respect, judgments on the future of nuclear weapons cannot be correct unless they are made with an understanding of what the policy imperatives will be for a given country and, consequently, of what the country itself will be. These considerations are particularly important when discussing the nuclear potential of the former Soviet Union; the fundamental changes which the nation is now experiencing must be taken into consideration. The current state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (the former USSR) may be characterized as a transition period, accompanied by a deepening crisis. The disintegration of the institutions of political power and the formation of sovereign states on what was USSR territory. The political course in some of these states has not yet been determined; in some states it may be characterized by extremism and clear expressions of nationalism. Much depends on what the former Soviet Union can become in the near future and on what approaches should or can be taken to ensure its military security, with particular attention given to strategic forces. This is also important because the nuclear forces in the USSR have played a special role which they quite possibly have not played in any other country; nuclear weapons have been an important tool for domestic policy as well as foreign policy. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the very existence of nuclear weapons and the special nature of the entire nuclear-forces infrastructure will play a vital part in shaping the future of what was once called the USSR.

• OSTI ID: 105171
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

35 ARMS CONTROL
ARMS CONTROL
FOREIGN POLICY
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
POLITICAL ASPECTS
RUSSIAN FEDERATION