Foreign Relations & International Law

Lawfare Daily: Serhii Plokhii on the History of the Nuclear Arms Race

Mykhailo Soldatenko, Serhii Plokhii, Jen Patja
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 7:00 AM
Discussing nuclear proliferation and international efforts to tame it.

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings

Lawfare Contributor Mykhailo Soldatenko sits down with Serhii Plokhii, Harvard History Professor and a leading authority on the history of the Cold War and Ukraine, to discuss his new book, "The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power and Survival," that tells a history of nuclear proliferation and international efforts to tame it. They discuss the role of fear and prestige in a country's decision to acquire nukes, nuclear strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, preventive wars against nuclear aspirants, Ukraine's decision to give up nuclear weapons it inherited from the Soviet Union, and more.   

 
You may also want to look at the following Lawfare pieces about this topic:

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.


Mykhailo Soldatenko is an attorney in Ukraine and New York and an S.J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School. He was previously a senior associate at a leading Ukrainian law firm, practicing international dispute resolution. He is also currently a Legal Fellow at Lawfare.
Serhii Plokhii is a history professor at Harvard University and expert on the history of the Cold War and Ukraine. He is the author of the book, "The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power and Survival."
Jen Patja is the editor of the Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security, and serves as Lawfare’s Director of Audience Engagement. Previously, she was Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics and Deputy Director of the Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier, where she worked to deepen public understanding of constitutional democracy and inspire meaningful civic participation.
}

Subscribe to Lawfare