Foreign Policy Research Institute A Nation Must Think Before it Acts The Peculiar Politics of Missile Defense
The Peculiar Politics of Missile Defense

The Peculiar Politics of Missile Defense

In March 2018, just over two weeks before national elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a stunning speech in which he announced the development of numerous new and exotic nuclear weapon systems. Arguably, the most remarkable system mentioned was a nuclear-powered cruise missile with global reach. According to Putin, this new missile features “almost an unlimited range, unpredictable trajectory…and is invincible against all existing and prospective missile defense and counter-air defense systems.”Nuclear analysts were quick to point out the weapon’s illogic: Why invest in an unproven, high-risk system when much more basic counter-measures will do?

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