1. Modern world today
There are a lot of internal and international conflicts all over the world.
Force methods are often used and have high effectiveness.
Possibility of nuclear proliferation is high (Iran, North Korea).
Possibility of use nuclear weapons in war conflicts is also high (war in Iraq 2003)

2. Questions to answer
Does nuclear deterrence mechanism works effectively today?
What role does nuclear deterrence play in policy of the Russian Federation?

3. Nuclear weapons in the modern world
S.D.Sagan: States want to have nuclear weapons on the following reasons:
To provide security (The security model).
To use it as a tool of domestic policy (The domestic politics model).
To symbolize the level of state’s development (The normative model).

4. Legal status of nuclear weapons
National and international law is applicable to nuclear weapons.
In 1996 the UN International Court could not find whether it is lawful to use nuclear weapons in extreme situations or not (UN Doc. А/51/218).

5. Legal status of nuclear weapons
UN International Court Advisory Opinion made in1996 (UN Doc. А/51/218): Jus bello is applicable to nuclear weapons.
There is the UN Model Convention concerning nuclear weapons today (UN Doc. А/С.1/52/7).

6. Summary There is no strict prohibition of nuclear arms.
There is no solid international regulation of nuclear conflict.
Legal ground for nuclear attacks is a deal of domestic policy today.
Problem: if common nuclear legislation is made nuclear weapons will be more legal than ever.

7. Nuclear deterrence today
Classical nuclear deterrence definition: state will not use nuclear weapons against another one if there is a real threat of the second strike.
Questions to answer:
What prevent nuclear states from using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear ones?
How to deter nuclear terrorism?

8. Nuclear deterrence today
The answer for the 1st question is: No state is ready to take responsibility for escalation of nuclear threat.
The answer for the 2nd question is: States may:
Deter states sponsoring terrorism;
Improve security of nuclear arsenals;
Pay more attention on social and psychological state of employees.

9. Nuclear deterrence in Russian policy

10. Legal basis
Russia is a member of international multilateral and bilateral nuclear agreements.
Nuclear weapons’ status is also regulated by national legislation.

11. Russian nuclear policy
Russia prefers to use diplomatic, political and economic methods of maintaining peace. Force may be used in extreme cases.
Russia needs nuclear weapons to prevent aggression (Concept of national security)

12. Russian nuclear policy
Concept of national security and Military doctrine allow using nuclear weapons against conventional arms (“flexible response” doctrine).
Russia may use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states members of the NPT in certain cases.

13. Nuclear collaboration
Russia considers collaboration with the USA to be the decisive issue in the deal of reduction nuclear threat.

14. Conclusions
Nuclear weapons plays a great role in international relations today.
States believe that nuclear deterrence still prevents nuclear war.
Nuclear terrorism is a real problem. There may be no agreements with terrorists and nuclear deterrence does not work here.

15. Conclusions
Possible nuclear states want to provide security and become the members of the deterrence mechanism.
Not all states may be the members of the nuclear deterrence mechanism
In general nuclear proliferation increases the risk of nuclear conflict today.

16. Conclusions
Collaboration and maintenances of nonproliferation regime will improve nuclear deterrence mechanism.