ABSTRACT
A shared interest in preventing the proliferation of radiological weapons paved the way for cooperation between the Soviet Union and the United States on a draft Radiological Weapons Convention (RWC) between 1979 and 1992. This context contributed to the ability of the Soviet and US negotiators to work together productively, even in the face of revelations about US plans to develop enhanced radiation weapons. Linkages between the success of the RWC and other, more ambitious arms-control efforts also motivated Moscow and Washington to resolve their opposing positions on the scope of the convention itself. The negotiating history of the draft treaty can be roughly divided into three phases: origins; US–Soviet bilateral negotiations; and multilateral negotiations at the UN Conference on Disarmament. In many ways, the RWC and related non-proliferation initiatives served as vehicles for achieving other goals, rather than representing priorities in and of themselves.
