Russia & Deterrence: Ronald Reagan Showed the Way

The American president worries that the Kremlin’s nuclear threats could lead to “Armageddon.” He presses NATO allies to curtail their dependence on Russian oil and gas, while imploring Saudi Arabia to increase oil production. The United States provides advanced weapons such as Stinger missiles to forces fighting to eject Russian invaders from their country. Tension between Moscow and Washington has hit the most perilous apex since the Cuban missile crisis. Some Americans worry that their president, who as the oldest in history is prone to erratic ruminations, may lack the mental acuity to steer the world from the brink of nuclear war.

Such was the situation for President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s as he confronted the Soviet Union. It also, of course, describes President Biden today as he faces Russian president Vladimir Putin.

WI

About the Author

William Inboden

William Inboden, a professor of public policy and the executive director of the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin, is the author of The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink. He served with the State Department and the National Security Council staff in the George W. Bush administration.

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The American president worries that the Kremlin’s nuclear threats could lead to “Armageddon.” He presses NATO allies to curtail their dependence on Russian oil and gas, while imploring Saudi Arabia to increase oil production. The United States provides advanced weapons such as Stinger missiles to forces fighting to eject Russian invaders from their country. Tension between Moscow and Washington has hit the most perilous apex since the Cuban missile crisis. Some Americans worry that their president, who as the oldest in history is prone to erratic ruminations, may lack the mental acuity to steer the world from the brink of nuclear war.

Such was the situation for President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s as he confronted the Soviet Union. It also, of course, describes President Biden today as he faces Russian president Vladimir Putin.

WI

About the Author

William Inboden

William Inboden, a professor of public policy and the executive director of the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin, is the author of The Peacemaker: Ronald Reagan, the Cold War, and the World on the Brink. He served with the State Department and the National Security Council staff in the George W. Bush administration.