Europe and Nuclear Power Plays: Spiegel

The United States has started the process of withdrawing from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The treaty led to destruction of thousands of missiles and rockets with ranges between 500 and 5,000 kilometers, but the US and Russia eventually accused each other of violations. More than 10 nations, including China, now have midrange rockets. This Spiegel Online article suggests that leaders of Russia and the US have the goal of reducing long-range missiles, but appreciate the fear factor and maneuverability of shorter-range missiles. That puts NATO and Europe in the crosshairs, and dividing and weakening NATO may be Russia’s ultimate goal. “Nuclear arms control, which has provided Europe with security and stability for more than three decades, will be history,” explains Spiegel Online. A new arms race with new players, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, could ensue – especially as the US and struggle to communicate on such matters due to ongoing investigations into Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election. The two-part article reviews new technologies as well as the history of arms treaties, suggesting that even the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty could be under threat as the superpowers fail to reduce stockpiles. – YaleGlobal