Deterrence

Deterrence seeks to prevent one state from acting in a manner not in the interest of another state (the deterring state) by imposing the prospect of unacceptable cost. Although deterrence as a concept had its greatest application during the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union at the level of nuclear competition, it remains a key aspect of how nation-states engage in behavior across the full spectrum of political affairs, in the context of nuclear deterrence as well as conventional deterrence. Another key aspect of deterrence is extended nuclear deterrence, whereby a major power provides nuclear security assurances to non-nuclear allies. The role of nuclear deterrence is likely to become more relevant in today’s more complex and uncertain multipolar world, which could see ...