NATO Nuclear Adaptation

Abstract:  In light of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine since 2022, the Euro-Atlantic security environment has degraded significantly, and escalation risks have increased. NATO Allies are committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia, while maintaining nuclear deterrence, managing escalation, and preparing for conflict if deterrence fails. NATO is deepening its understanding of Russian strategic behavior and its appreciation for the complexity of multi-domain deterrence across hybrid, conventional, and nuclear domains. This discussion will address the key components of NATO nuclear deterrence, what NATO is doing to strengthen deterrence, and how to manage escalation risks.

James Stokes is the director of Nuclear Policy within the Defence Policy and Planning Division of the International Staff at NATO HQ. He is responsible for developing and implementing NATO nuclear policy, organizing exercises, policy symposiums, training programs and providing policy support to the Secretary General on nuclear deterrence. Mr. Stokes chairs the Nuclear Planning Group - Staff Group. Prior to NATO, Mr. Stokes was the Nuclear Capabilities Advisor within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Nuclear Matters. He was detailed to the U.S. Mission to NATO in Brussels, Belgium, as an Attaché. He provided policy and acquisition advice related to modernization of NATO’s nuclear deterrent capabilities, including weapons, dual-capable aircraft, infrastructure, and NC3. He also served as the representative of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs, who is the NATO High Level Group Vice Chair for Safety, Security, and Survivability. 

Technical Contact: Brad Roberts            
Administrative POC: Katie Thomas, thomas94 [at] llnl.gov (thomas94[at]llnl[dot]gov)