Document Type

Working Paper

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.25776/fhk5-n604

Pages

16 pp.

Abstract

The beginning of the Cold War era indubitably defines nuclear deterrence strategies in Europe by reinforcing and re-strategizing security dynamics amongst European States. The balance of power in Europe has been geopolitically influenced by NATO and Russia in a quest to avoid any kind of security dilemmas from either side. In order to maintain a strategic deterrence balance posture, this complex security navigation scenario therefore act as stabilizing factor in the region as well as preventing any future conflict on the Europe continent resulting from security imbalances. NATO eastward enlargement has maintained a significant strategic balance of power in the region while Russia incursion into Ukraine, Georgia and Transnistria equally serves the same purpose. This strategic balance of power, help creates an effective deterrence between Russia and NATO thus, explaining why no war has existed between Moscow and Brussels. This paper uses the balance of power theory to justify how states embark on military strengths to enhance their deterrence capabilities according to John Mearsheimer. It also analysis nuclear how deterrence mechanisms deployed by North Atlantic Treaty Organization - NATO and the Russian Federation in ensuring balance of power in Europe. By examining the nuclear deterrence strategies of both adversaries, the paper seeks to also to explore the loopholes created as a result of an ineffective security deterrence policy resulting to a security dilemma as seen in Ukraine 2022, Georgia 2008, Serbia 1999 and Moldova 1992. The paper finds that the nuclear umbrella proposed by the French President Emmanual Macron, and reinforcing of the Eastern European NATO security policy seems to be pragmatic step in bolstering deterrence in the East while stationing nuclear weapons in Belarus, Kaliningrad is the Kremlin strategy in maneuvering security in the region.

Rights

Included with kind permission from the author.

ORCID

0009-0006-9633-0945 (Edmond)

Original Publication Citation

Edmond, Chick. (2025). Nuclear deterrence strategies and the balance of power in Europe. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.25776/fhk5-n604

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