Samenvatting

This thesis investigates how the view and position of Russia and the US on nuclear disarmament has changed since the Cold War. Many theories have been found during this research. However, two particular theories regarding why Russia and the US are committed to nuclear weapons are distinctive; (i) it is in the interest of these states to maintain national security through deterrence, and (ii) nuclear weapons remain important elements of power. At the commencement of this research, it appeared that the view and position of Russia and the US on nuclear disarmament had changed drastically since the Cold War. However, by the end of the research it became clear that many policies that were maintained during the Cold War continue to remain in place today. Nuclear disarmament can be described as an act of reducing, limiting, and abolishing nuclear weapons. Many treaties have been signed and ratified to reach nuclear disarmament. This research addresses three treaties, each dealing with a different element of disarmament. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty is aimed at reducing nuclear weapons, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty limits states to perform nuclear tests and therefore to develop nuclear weapons, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty abolishes proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The aim of this research is to examine how the view and position of Russia and the US on nuclear disarmament has changed, and what factors have contributed to this change. The position of Russia and the US has transformed several times depending on the geopolitical situation. The view, however, seems to remain unchanged since the Cold War. This has to do with human nature and the meaning humans attach to nuclear weapons. It is argued by critics that views on nuclear disarmament have changed due to proliferation. This research, however, concludes that the proliferation argument hampers efforts towards disarmament.