Nuclear Weapons: Asset or Liability?
Case in Point – Ukraine
From the essay
In this essay, I aim to make a general economics-focused argument about the true cost of developing, owning, and maintaining nuclear weapons—deliberately setting aside the usual political discussions surrounding deterrence and the Cold War’s MAD doctrine. Using Ukraine as a case study, I extend the analysis to other countries that have pursued, or are currently aspiring to acquire, nuclear weapons. My core position is this: the development and upkeep of a nuclear arsenal is a massive economic burden, one that can be especially devastating for smaller nations with already overstressed and fragile economies—countries whose national budgets are often struggling to meet the basic needs of their own citizens.
Adapted from PDF pages 1.