Letters | Nuclear deterrence is mute on how to resolve root of conflict

Readers discuss Russia’s threat of nuclear strikes and North Korea’s role in the Ukraine war, Cheung Chau’s fading charms, and Hong Kong’s outstanding healthcare service

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An activist holds a single-person picket in front of the US embassy in central Moscow on November 5, with a poster reading “We Support Changing the Nuclear Doctrine to Allowing to Retarget Nuclear Weapons at the United States”. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:30am, 9 Nov 2024

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Recent interactions between Russia and North Korea regarding the Ukraine war have drawn global attention (“North Korea to stand by Russia until ‘victory’ in Ukraine, will expand its nuclear arsenal”, November 1). Reports suggest that Pyongyang is sending troops to Russia in exchange for access to advanced weapons, potentially including nuclear capabilities. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, also warned the United States and its allies to take the threat of nuclear strikes seriously.

Since WWII, the concept of a “balance of terror” has influenced international security policies, slowing global denuclearisation efforts. With the escalation of the Ukraine war and the growing risk of nuclear confrontation, nations should reconsider the “balance of terror” theory and reflect on the underlying nature of conflicts.

Some argue that nuclear proliferation has contributed to global stability through the balance of terror. According to this theory, when rival states possess equally destructive arsenals, the mutual threat of annihilation forces cautious diplomacy. Major powers such as the United States and the former USSR maintain strong retaliatory capabilities, ensuring that any first strike would face an equally destructive response.

While nuclear deterrence has likely prevented direct conflict between nuclear-armed states, as seen during the Cuban missile crisis, it has failed to address the root causes of global tensions. During the Cold War, nuclear deterrence did not prevent regional conflicts, such as those in Korea and Vietnam.

Unresolved power struggles can continue to destabilise regions, and their impact can be just as devastating. Aghdam, a city in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, suffered such extensive destruction during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia that it earned the nickname “Caucasian Hiroshima”, even though no nuclear weapons were deployed.