Publication

This paper examines the German position toward nuclear arms. The author argues that the dramatic changes in the German security situation after 1990 did not lead to radical redefinition of the country's position on nuclear weapons, even though in 1997 notice was given for the first time of the conditions in which the German government might contemplate their elimination: reliable verification systems, guaranteed security by non-nuclear means and complete elimination of fissile material stocks intended for military purposes. The paper provides the missing redefinition and concludes that Germany should opt for the position of bridge-builder between the nuclear-weapons states and their non-aligned critics.