New Realities for NATO's Modern Nuclear Policy: NATO's Nuclear Weapons History

Introduction

In the 21st century, the issue of nuclear safety is very important, as well as the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction. It must be said that in the context of the New Cold War, the role of nuclear weapons is increasing, many countries are willing to own nuclear weapons. Possession of nuclear weapons protects the world from large-scale international conflicts. After World War II, there was talk of using nuclear weapons in various conflicts, but humanity acted prudently and did not use an atomic bomb to resolve the conflict. This does not mean that it can continue in the future. It is therefore important to develop a variety of strategies, concepts, doctrines and policy documents that will provide some stability and minimize the use of nuclear weapons. NATO's modern nuclear policy and concept that responds well to the challenges and threats facing the Alliance are important in this regard. But, this does not mean that NATO has the means to relax in the context of nuclear security. The main reason for this is the nuclear states that are working to improve their nuclear arsenal and missile systems. Today, the world is actively improving its military technology, improving its weapons, both ballistic, cruise and supersonic missiles, the range and speed of which is increasing. Therefore, it becomes difficult for anti-missile systems to destroy them. A significant threat is those countries that want to become nuclear states. Such countries often have undemocratic political systems, and most of them are mostly authoritarian or totalitarian.

It should be noted that nuclear weapons have become a guarantor of global peace along with the threat. Large-scale wars are avoided by states, and the battlefield is largely a local conflict. Despite some controversy between the nuclear states, they still realize the danger of nuclear war for humanity, in the conditions of which no one can finally emerge victorious. Given what could lead to the start of a nuclear war, humanity is unlikely to be able to survive. But, if a nuclear war starts then it is important between which states it will start and which additional states will be involved in this war. Even the fate of the world depends on it. If the states with the largest stockpiles of nuclear arsenal are to be the main actors in this war in the form of the US and Russia then they will be dragged into the rest of the nuclear states as well. All of this will lead to the inevitable destruction of the earth. This could lead to the nuclear winter effect, which was discussed as a scientific concept in the 1980s and is quite realistic if humanity had not been completely destroyed before then. We can say that the concept of mutually guaranteed destruction is completely real and no one can emerge victorious from a nuclear war. During the Cold War, American strategists focused on the concept of threat in the 1970s. There was talk of the possibility of inflicting the greatest civil and military damage on the Soviet Union in the event of a nuclear war. The concept of “mutual guaranteed destruction” (MAD, in French: madness!) Is in vogue at the moment. This is the strategy of “equilibrium of terror”. In this way, nuclear weapons and sufficiently powerful vectors are developed to demonstrate the ability to respond to any kind of confrontation. This concept is still relevant in this century. The background of political tensions between nuclear states is growing and they are increasingly developing their nuclear potential along with other military components (Guchua, 2020).

To achieve peace and stability in the world political system, in which NATO plays an active role, considerable importance is attached to the tendencies in the management of general geopolitical and geostrategic processes. Limiting the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is one of the key security issues of the 21st century. NATO's dialogue with partners plays an important role in achieving the Alliance's goals in this area. In the modern period, in the context of global changes, geopolitical transition and new threats and challenges, international security issues are becoming more and more important. The international security system is vulnerable to problems such as terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction. The international security system is vulnerable to problems such as terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction. The need to ensure security at both the regional and global levels underscored the role of international organizations, especially the North Atlantic Alliance.