A new axis of authoritarian powers comprising China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea is using nuclear coercion and the threat of uncontrolled escalation to dissuade the United States from supporting its allies, undermining the credibility of the American security commitments that undergird the US-led world order.

In a recent collection of essays, Relearning Escalation Dynamics to Win the New Cold War, nuclear policy experts explain how the US can adapt its strategic posture to make its security guarantees more credible and why policymakers should overcome the fear of escalation that leads to unilateral restraint.

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs, director of Hudson’s Keystone Defense Initiative and the editor of the booklet, will sit down for a conversation on the path forward for Washington in a new era of strategic competition with coauthors Kyle Balzer of the American Enterprise Institute, Matthew R. Costlow of the National Institute for Public Policy, and Ryan Tully of Hudson Institute.