The Politics of Nuclear Renunciation:
The Cases of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine
by William C. Potter
Dr. William Potter's essay, the first of the project's series of occasional papers, examines the recent decisions of three former Soviet republics to give up the nuclear weapons that they inherited in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The essay, which was published in April 1995, observes that in the post-Cold War world, nuclear policy cannot be considered in isolation of other important national goals, particularly those related to economic growth and technological advancement. The essay concludes that the cases of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, are "indicative of the significant array and potency of proliferation disincentives that operate" in this new era. As such, Potter's account holds valuable lessons for future non-proliferation efforts.
