By Vladimir Dvorkin

Even though U.S. radar systems are likely to be deployed in South-Eastern Europe as part of a missile defense shield, I see no threat for Russia if the Americans obtain some additional information seeing as they already safely monitor Russian territory from space.

It seems to me that we should change out attitude towards U.S. missile early-warning radar in Europe. Defense cooperation is a major problem both countries must solve if we are to radically alter our relationship. If the sides can work on missile defense together, they will be more than just partners – they will be allies. If we cooperate on this issue and build a common missile shield, then we will in effect bury the mutual nuclear deterrence between Russia and the United States, which remains to this day in organizational and technical terms. Working toward a common missile defense system is the most important step we can take to move beyond the idea of deterrence and develop a completely different approach to nuclear weapons.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill: “Nuclear weapons and the threat of their use, mutual deterrence and mutually assured destruction are the worst instruments for preventing a large-scale war except all the others.” We need to move beyond this notion, at least in our bilateral relations. We do not need to deter each other from launching a nuclear attack, and yet this is our military posture to this day. Russia still has considerable potential for cooperation or developing a joint missile defense shield. We have carried out only nine joint exercises involving missile defense: five Russia-U.S. exercises, and four U.S.-Russia-NATO exercises. We had no problems with zones of responsibility or managing the system. We need to move beyond the mistrust and begin full-scale cooperation. Then all other issues, including tactical weapons issues, will be easier to resolve.