The DSR Network FTA: Emergency Podcast: The Scary Episode You Need to Hear
Dec 26, 2025
Joe Cirincione, a seasoned nuclear policy expert, and Jon Wolfsthal, a former White House national security official, dive deep into the alarming shift of U.S. foreign policy toward Russia. They explore how this realignment threatens global nuclear security, undermines long-standing alliances, and raises questions about NATO’s stability. The duo discusses the potential erosion of U.S. credibility, risks of European defense autonomy, and the dire implications of cutting arms control efforts. This riveting conversation warns of the precarious future of international relations.
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U.S. Strategic Realignment Risks Global Order
- The Trump administration is effecting a strategic realignment toward Russia that undermines decades-old U.S. foreign policy frameworks.
- This shift threatens NATO, nonproliferation norms, and global strategic balances that kept nuclear spread in check.
NATO + NPT Held Proliferation At Bay
- NATO's U.S. nuclear umbrella and the NPT together discouraged European countries from going nuclear for decades.
- If U.S. commitments collapse, those two pillars crumble and proliferation debates will re-emerge across Europe and Asia.
Credibility Is The Core Of Deterrence
- Deterrence requires both credible capabilities and credible resolve from the U.S.
- Weakening either element undermines allies' faith and increases the chance they consider independent nuclear options.