Part 15/17:
Concluding his insights, Shea underscores the importance of alliances as a bulwark against proliferation and conflict. While some countries, like China and Russia, envy the robustness of Western alliances, others perceive their own regimes as insecure or illegitimate and thus seek nuclear deterrence as insurance.
For Western powers, maintaining and nurturing trust in alliances like NATO, Japan, and South Korea is vital. These relationships serve not just as military pacts but as social contracts based on mutual confidence—a pillar crucial to preventing the spiraling into uncontrolled nuclear proliferation.