Optimal Deterrence: How the United States Can Preserve Peace and Prevent a Nuclear Arms Race with China and Russia
The United States should optimize its nuclear strategy—to maximize the deterrence benefits of its nuclear arsenal while reducing the risks of arms racing, escalation, and proliferation as well as the costs of modernization.
published by on June 18, 2025
Council on Foreign Relations
More work from Carnegie
How a U.S.-Africa Business Summit Could Launch a New Era of U.S.-Africa RelationsBy shifting away from traditional aid delivery systems, a U.S.-Africa business summit could launch a new era of U.S.-Africa relations in a way likely to yield growth and shared prosperity.
Great Expectations: India Amid U.S.-China CompetitionDespite dramatic improvements in U.S.-India relations, Washington’s ambitions regarding India vis-à-vis China—where international order, security collaboration, and economic intercourse are concerned—still await full realization.
John Hopkins University Press
Memorandum on Reducing the Risk of U.S.-China Conflict in Maritime East AsiaDeterring China from taking actions that risk catastrophic war will require a more disciplined consideration of concrete U.S. interests at stake in maritime East Asia.
The EU’s AI Power Play: Between Deregulation and InnovationThe EU’s recent deregulatory shift risks eroding democratic oversight and the union’s norm-setting credibility. To secure Europe’s technological sovereignty, the bloc must increase investments, develop its own digital infrastructure, and regulate dual-use AI applications.
