What would make a country safer: diplomacy or deterrence? (feat. Mariana Budjeryn)

When scholars, security experts, politicians, and activists all warn that "democracy is under threat," it's clear this is no longer merely a hyperbolic slogan. The situations such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, conflict in Gaza, and coercion threats in the Taiwan Strait illustrate the challenges states face in managing security risks and deterring hostile adversaries. Today, weapons of mass destruction still represent the ultimate form of deterrence.

In this episode, Dr. Mariana Budjeryn, a researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center Project on Managing the Atom, discusses Ukraine's decision to relinquish its nuclear arsenal under the Budapest Memorandum, the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence, and the ongoing risks associated with nuclear armament.