Russia\u2019s Nuclear Signaling in the War Against Ukraine: A Chronology of the Biden Era

Abstract

The research data described below was produced by the Working Paper titled "Russia’s Nuclear Signaling in the War Against Ukraine: A Chronology of the Biden Era" covering the period between February 24, 2022, and November 2025. The project traces Russian and Western political interactions with a nuclear dimension following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, building on the current state of research in International Relations and deterrence theory to address the question of how to interpret nuclear rhetoric. The central objective is to understand how nuclear interactions unfolded in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In particular, the project brings the following questions to the fore: What statements and actions with a nuclear dimension did Russia and the West make in the context of the invasion? What reactions did Russia's nuclear rhetoric trigger among Western states? And in turn, how did Russia react to Western rejoinders, warnings, and counter-threats? To answer these research questions, the researchers collected all politically significant statements and actions by the Russian Federation and Western states, particularly the United States and NATO allies, with a nuclear dimension. The publication was produced under the leadership of Dr Liviu Horovitz from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and Dr Michal Smetana from the Peace Research Center Prague (PRCP). The project was financed through the Strategic Threat Analysis and Nuclear (Dis-)Order (STAND) project at SWP, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Defence, and from summer 2024 onwards also by funding available to the PRCP. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive chronology of the nuclear rhetoric and escalation management strategies employed by Russia and the West in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. other keywords: nuclear weapon, nuclear disarmament, nuclear signalling, nuclear policy weitere Schlagworte: Nuklearwaffen, Atomwaffen, Nukleare Abschreckung, AtompolitikThe research data described below was produced by the Working Paper titled "Russia’s Nuclear Signaling in the War Against Ukraine: A Chronology of the Biden Era" covering the period between February 24, 2022, and November 2025. The project traces Russian and Western political interactions with a nuclear dimension following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, building on the current state of research in International Relations and deterrence theory to address the question of how to interpret nuclear rhetoric. The central objective is to understand how nuclear interactions unfolded in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In particular, the project brings the following questions to the fore: What statements and actions with a nuclear dimension did Russia and the West make in the context of the invasion? What reactions did Russia's nuclear rhetoric trigger among Western states? And in turn, how did Russia react to Western rejoinders, warnings, and counter-threats? To answer these research questions, the researchers collected all politically significant statements and actions by the Russian Federation and Western states, particularly the United States and NATO allies, with a nuclear dimension. The publication was produced under the leadership of Dr Liviu Horovitz from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and Dr Michal Smetana from the Peace Research Center Prague (PRCP). The project was financed through the Strategic Threat Analysis and Nuclear (Dis-)Order (STAND) project at SWP, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Defence, and from summer 2024 onwards also by funding available to the PRCP. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive chronology of the nuclear rhetoric and escalation management strategies employed by Russia and the West in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. other keywords: nuclear weapon, nuclear disarmament, nuclear signalling, nuclear policy weitere Schlagworte: Nuklearwaffen, Atomwaffen, Nukleare Abschreckung, Atompoliti