For decades, the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction was largely confined to rogue and authoritarian regimes. Today, the discussion increasingly includes U.S. allies, signaling a profound shift in global security dynamics. The nuclear genie is out of the bottle, and conflicts in Ukraine and Iran provide valuable lessons for those considering a nuclear deterrent.
Since the mid-1960s, non-proliferation has been a cornerstone of American foreign policy. The U.S. sought to prevent “cascading proliferation,” which would destabilize global security and increase the risk of nuclear conflict. To this end, Washington extended its nuclear deterrence umbrella to allies in Europe and Asia. While this policy succeeded in many cases, it failed to prevent North Korea from acquiring WMDs and raised doubts about the credibility of U.S. deterrence.
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Paweł Behrendt PhD, University of Vienna alumni. Major areas of interest include the foreign and defence policy of Japan and China, international relations and security in East Asia, and conflicts in Asia. Author of books "Chińczycy grają w go" and "Korzenie niemieckich sukcesów w Azji” and several dozens of articles on history and security issues in Asia and Europe published in Poland and abroad.
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