Europe's Nuclear Future: Deterrence and the Nuclear Ban Treaty

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.