Will Russia resort to nuclear weapons in Ukraine?

Episode Outline

As the Ukraine War worsens, the threat of nuclear weapons has remained present throughout. Yet, Putin hasn't followed through and so the question remains around the propensity for him to use them, alongside the narratives that emerge on nuclear use more broadly. Alongside scheduled guests, TGG had surprise expert appearances enriching the conversation in the latter half. Questions/themes included:

• What are the current conditions around nuclear weapons and the existing treaties?
• How does Russia approach nuclear weapons and their treatment compared to the West?
• What would be the propensity for Putin to use them and how would the West/NATO respond?
• If Russia did use them, how would that influence other countries who want to pursue nuclear proliferation?
• How significant would tactical nuclear weapons be next to strategic ones/ICBMs?
• How can we improve the narrative surrounding nuclear weapons?

Guest Profiles

This episode had the following experts:

Dr. Alexander Bollfrass works as a Senior Researcher at the ETH Zurich Center for Security Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in Security Studies from Princeton University and worked on nuclear issues at Harvard University's Project on Managing the Atom, as well as the Stimson Center and the Arms Control Association.

Dr. Nicole Grajewski is a Stanton Nuclear Security Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. A scholar of Russian foreign policy, she holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Oxford.

Dr. Stephen Herzog is senior Research at the ETH Zurich Center for Security Studies, as well as an Associate of Harvard University's Project on Managing the Atom. He worked for the Federation of American Scientists and at the U.S. Department of Energy. Stephen holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University.

Surprise appearances were also made by:

Heather Williams, director of the Project on Nuclear Issues and a senior fellow in the International Security Program at CSIS.

Pavel Podvig, a Senior Researcher in the WMD Programme at UNIDIR.

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