Ukraine At The Fulcrum: A Nuclear House Of Cards

Abstract

The three fundamental pillars that uphold the foundation for preserving and enhancing global nuclear security are: nuclear disarmament, the prevention of further nuclear weapon proliferation, and international cooperation to safeguard nuclear materials and strengthen international nuclear security culture. However, experts argue that when Russian president Vladimir Putin cut cooperative efforts to safeguard nuclear materials, he endangered the future of all international efforts for promoting global nuclear security. We argue that Putin’s decision not only detrimentally erodes the third pillar of nuclear security, but Russia’s recent actions in Ukraine also bring to bear more threatening ramifications. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the international community’s lack of willingness to exert sufficient pressure on Russia to honor the promises made to Ukraine (in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons in the 1990s [1]) work against nonproliferation objectives and reach far beyond the geographic boundaries of the current conflict. In addition, they may disrupt both further nuclear disarmament and stimulate proliferation of nuclear weapons. The inaction and/or inability of the international community to resist or reverse Russia’s illegal actions must alarm the government of any country who—acting on their trust in the international agreements—resists the push toward nuclearization. If binding diplomatic agreements are seen to only bind one party— the weaker party—that party will understandably hesitate to entrust any diplomatic document short of a binding treaty with clear and required enforcement mechanisms. This is especially true when a country’s national security and ultimately its sovereignty is at stake. If any one of these nations move toward nuclear status, the atomic dominos will surely begin to tumble, and the 1 Manaeva Rice et al.: Ukraine At The Fulcrum Published by Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange, 2015 delicate nuclear equilibrium, a cooperative balance that defines today’s global nuclear security landscape, will be lost.