Lost in Translation: NATO, Russia and Deterrence Lessons from the Cold War
Kristin Ven Bruusgaard

October 19, 2018

As countries both sides of the Atlantic increasingly rely on deterrence as security insurance, the security dilemma in Europe intensifies. This paper analyzes deterrence policy as constituting three component parts: determining adversary intention, formulating measures to influence those intentions, and last, evaluating deterrent effect. It uses this framework to audit the effectiveness of NATO and Russia deterrence strategies in Europe today. It concludes by reflecting on how Cold War lessons on deterrence may contribute to prevent the security dilemma from triggering conflict in Europe.

Kristin Ven Bruusgaard is a Stanton Nuclear Security Predoctoral Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Stanford University, and a doctoral candidate at King’s College London. Her research focuses on Russian nuclear strategy and deterrence policy in the post-Cold War era. Kristin is currently on leave from the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS). She has previously been a senior security policy analyst in the Norwegian Armed Forces, a junior researcher at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), and an intern at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in Washington, D.C., and at NATO HQ. She holds an MA in Security Studies from Georgetown University, and a BA from Warwick University. Her work has been published in Survival, Security Dialogue, U.S. Army War College Quarterly Parameters, War on the Rocks and Texas National Security Review.

Lost in Translation: NATO, Russia and Deterrence Lessons from the Cold War

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) sponsored this talk entitled “Lost in Translation: NATO, Russia and Deterrence Lessons from the Cold War” by Kristin Ven Bruusgaard on March 29, 2018.