Publication

This paper focuses on the nuclear strategy of all relevant actors in Western Europe. The NATO still describes nuclear weapons as the “supreme guarantee” of Alliance security. However, while the number of nuclear weapons in Europe has declined, the nuclear actors in Western Europe have not yet changed their doctrines to reflect the new security environment. Simultaneously, there is no military threat to the continent and NATO’s conventional military capabilities far outweigh any potential enemy. The authors argue that Western Europe nations should comprehensively pursue a risk reduction approach by undertaking six steps to reduce the risks associated with nuclear weapons and to preserve the NPT.