The authors address some U.S. politicians’ temptation to escalate nuclear tensions in response to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine. They point to a piece of legislation sponsored by former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, “The Russian Aggression Prevention Act of 2014,” as a prime example of this effort. They argue that expanding the missile defense system in Europe will do nothing to deter Russia because the system is designed to counter Middle Eastern nuclear threats, not Russian. Claiming European missile systems act as a deterrent contradict U.S. policy, which had vehemently countered Kremlin accusations that these systems were designed to contain Russia. The authors also argue that increasing nuclear forces will do nothing to deter Russia and would have done nothing in Russia’s 2014 Crimean annexation because NATO will not use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack. The authors urge policymakers to stay in treaties like New START, which allow the U.S. to comfortably deal with the Russian nuclear threat without having to worry about sudden nuclear escalation. Szarejko and Reif call for a response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, just not a nuclear one.

Read the full text at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Roidan Carlson of U.S. Air Force shared in the public domain.