Europe’s Nuclear Future: Deterrence and theNuclear Ban Treaty
Heather Williams

July 19, 2018

The 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) has renewed historical debates within European states about deterrence versus disarmament. However, in many states there exists a taboo around discussing nuclear deterrence, resulting in an imbalanced debate dominated by the anti-nuclear movement. The TPNW and this taboo have implications for American deterrence and assurance policies, implementation of the Nuclear Posture Review, and NATO nuclear doctrine. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the evolution of the TPNW and its current status, but will focus on current nuclear debates in Europe and the impact of the ban treaty, domestic politics, and U.S. nuclear policy and messaging. It will conclude with policy implications for NATO and the United States and offer options for reviving a deterrence discussion in Europe and the role of the U.S. nuclear weapons community in provoking that conversation.

Dr. Heather Williams is a Lecturer in the Defence Studies Department and Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) at King’s College London. She is also an adjunct Research Staff Member in the Strategy, Forces, and Resources Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia, where she has worked since 2008. Dr. Williams currently leads research projects on asymmetric arms control and emerging technologies, the impact of social media on conflict escalation, and U.S. messaging strategies on arms control and disarmament. Her most recent publications include, Strategic Stability, Uncertainty, and the Future of Arms Control in Survival (March 2018), The Nuclear Babel: Narratives around the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in The Nonproliferation Review (June 2018), and Tailored Assurance: Balancing Deterrence and Disarmament in Response to NATO-Russia Tensions as an IFRI Proliferation Paper (July 2018).

Europe’s Nuclear Future: Deterrence and theNuclear Ban Treaty

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) sponsored this talk entitled “Europe’s Nuclear Future: Deterrence and theNuclear Ban Treaty” by Heather Williams on July 19, 2018.

LLNL-VIDEO-756560