Nuclear weapons are discussed through the purpose of deterrence instead of routine battlefield use. A state without them must rely on nuclear-armed allies when another nuclear power attempts coercion. If those allies decline to intervene, the non-nuclear state may have little choice but to concede. An independent deterrent preserves national decision-making by forcing an aggressor to account for the target state's own response.
Notable Point · 34:01-34:32
Nuclear deterrence as protection against coercion
Possessing a nuclear deterrent preserves a state's freedom to resist nuclear coercion when allied protection cannot be guaranteed.