ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the political and military background pertinent to the relationship between Russian-American strategic nuclear arms limitations and missile defense. United States of America (US) and Russian decisions about nuclear arms reductions and missile defenses also have implications for the other states in the international system—especially for current or aspiring nuclear weapons states. The chapter analyzes the extent to which US and Russian New Start and alternative post-New Start forces could meet the requirements for deterrence stability, including the possible implications of missile defenses for deterrence stability under post-New Start reductions. It also discusses how ambitious the US and Russia can be in reducing strategic nuclear forces, not only in terms of their own security and defense requirements, but also with respect to the need for involvement of other nuclear weapons states. Russian and American perspectives on the prevention of nuclear weapons spread are not identical, they are potentially convergent on some important issues.
