Are nuclear weapons still a deterrent? A new IU faculty member weighs in
In a gripping new Foreign Affairs article, historian Carter Malkasian and incoming Indiana University Hamilton Lugar School faculty member Zachary Constantino examine a troubling trend: the rise in direct conflict between nuclear powers. From unprecedented Israeli-Iranian airstrikes to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian nuclear assets, recent events suggest that the decades-long taboo against escalation may be fading.
The article argues that traditional nuclear deterrence is weakening—and with it, global stability. Constantino and Malkasian call for policies to preempt escalatory pressures among rivalrous states, such as limiting actions to the covert arena, urgent updates to diplomatic and military strategy, enhanced communication, and backchannel negotiations to avoid catastrophe.
As Constantino joins IU, this timely piece showcases the expertise he brings to campus—and why these issues demand our attention.
👉 Read the full story: "The End of an Era" by Carter Malkasian and Zachary Constantino, now in Foreign Affairs.