Russian Nuclear Non-proliferation Policy Evolution

Nuclear weapons have always been the focus of the international community at the advent of its born. Those countries with nuclear weapons began to pay attention to problem of nuclear non-proliferation. The attitude of the Soviet Union towards the problem of nuclear non-proliferation had a profound impact on the international nuclear non-proliferation undertakings. With the formation of the nuclear balance between Soviet Union and United States, they found common interests in the maintenance of the nuclear monopoly and prevent other countries getting access to nuclear weapons, which eventually facilitated establishment of nuclear non-proliferation mechanism. The attitude of Soviet Union towards nuclear non-proliferation had transformed from negative to positive. In essence, Soviet Union's policy of nuclear non-proliferation was based on its national interests, varied with contradictions between two countries. After disintegration of Soviet Union, Russia became the successor State of nuclear arsenal of Soviet Union and assumed its international rights and obligations. Although Russia's international profile has been in decline, Russia, once a major nuclear power, still has a greater say on the nuclear non-proliferation issues.The nuclear non-proliferation policy of Russia has becomes clearer throughout nearly 20-year's evolution. On the basis of Soviet Union's nuclear non-proliferation policy, Russia has gradually developed a unique way of nuclear non-proliferation. Russia unwaveringly supports the nuclear non-proliferation mechanism, and has played a positive role in improving and consolidating the international non-proliferation mechanism. On specific issues, Russia adopts a flexible and pragmatic approach based on national interests; and also views the flexible use of nuclear non-proliferation policy as a part of its national foreign policy. In the long term, nuclear non-proliferation policy of Russia will remain unchanged, and Russia will strengthen the cooperation with the United States on nuclear non-proliferation, seeking to reform and improve the nuclear non-proliferation mechanism.