Lydia Theresa Wachs Doktorand

Lydia Wachs är doktorand i internationella relationer vid Stockholms universitet. Hennes doktorandforskning fokuserar på Sovjetunionens/Rysslands roll i den globala kärnvapenordningen, särskilt dess nukleära export- och icke-spridningspolitik. Innan dess arbetade Lydia som forskare vid German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) i Berlin, med fokus på kärnvapenfrågor, främst rysk kärnvapenstrategi. Hon har också tidigare arbetat som forskningsassistent inom programmet för spridning och kärnvapenpolitik vid Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) i London.

Lydia har en masterexamen i Arms Control and International Relations från King’s College London, för vilken hon 2020 tilldelades Sir Lawrence Freedman Award för bästa masterstudent vid Department of War Studies. Hon har också en kandidatexamen i internationella relationer från universitetet i Dresden, Tyskland, och universitetet i Sankt Petersburg, Ryssland (2019).

Publication list

Peer-reviewed articles

Lydia Wachs. "Russia and Incentives for Nuclear Diplomacy: Reviewing the State of the Literature," in Nuclear Negotiations: Conditions for Effective Nuclear Diplomacy, Isak Svensson and Ulrika Möller eds. (Springer, 2025): 91-105. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-03565-3_6.

Lydia Wachs. “Russian Nuclear Roulette? Elites and public debates on nuclear weapons in Moscow after Ukraine.” Nonproliferation Review 30, 4-6 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2024.2435706.

Liviu Horovitz and Lydia Wachs, “Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus? Motivations and consequences.” The Washington Quarterly 47, no. 3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1080/0163660X.2024.2398952.

Lydia Wachs. “Security versus status: Explaining Russia’s interest in the Presidential Nuclear Initiatives and the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty.” Nonproliferation Review 30, no. 1-3 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1080/10736700.2024.2370709.

Lydia Wachs. “Die Rolle von begrenzten Nuklearoptionen für die erweiterte Abschreckung in Europa [Limited nuclear options and extended deterrence in Europe].” SIRIUS – Zeitschrift für Strategische Analysen 7, no. 3 (2023), pp. 237-247, https://doi.org/10.1515/sirius-2023-3004.

Policy articles and think-tank reports

Lydia Wachs, Liviu Horovitz. “Unklarheiten über russische Nuklearwaffen in Belarus Erkenntnisstand und Implikationen für Europa und die Nato [Uncertainties about Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus: State of affairs and implications for Europe and NATO].” SWP Comment (June 2024). https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/unklarheiten-ueber-russische-nuklearwaffen-in-belarus.

Lydia Wachs. “Russian Missiles and the European Sky Shield Initiative: German plans to strengthen air and missile defence in the current threat environment.” SWP Comment (August 2023). https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/russian-missiles-and-the-european-sky-shield-initiative.

Lydia Wachs. “New Start vor dem Aus? Rüstungskontrolle als Teil Moskaus nuklearer Erpressungsstrategie [New START under pressure? Arms control as part of Moscow`s nuclear blackmailing].“ SWP Short Comment (March 2023). https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/new-start-vor-dem-aus-ruestungskontrolle-als-teil-moskaus-nuklearer-erpressungsstrategie.

Lydia Wachs, Liviu Horovitz. “Frankreichs Atomwaffen und Europa: Optionen für eine besser abgestimmte Abschreckungspolitik [France’s nuclear weapons and Europe: Options for streamlining deterrence polices].“ SWP Comment (January 2023). https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/frankreichs-atomwaffen-und-europa.

Lydia Wachs. “Limited nuclear options and extended deterrence: Adapting to the changing strategic context.” NATO Defense College Research Papers Series (December 2022): https://www.ndc.nato.int/news/news.php?icode=1782&lang=en#.

Lydia Wachs. “Germany Must Adapt Its Mindset on Nuclear Weapons.” 49security (November 2022): https://fourninesecurity.de/2022/11/23/germany-must-adapt-its-mindset-on-nuclear-weapons.

Lydia Wachs, Liviu Horovitz, Anna Clara Arndt. “In der nuklearen Zwickmühle [The nuclear quandary].” Tagesspiegel (November 2022): https://www.tagesspiegel.de/meinung/in-der-nuklearen-zwickmuhle-russlands-atom-drohungen-zwingen-den-westen-in-einen-unbehaglichen-balanceakt-8870809.html.

Lydia Wachs, Liviu Horovitz, Anna Clara Arndt. “The Nuclear Trilemma in Ukraine.” Internationale Politik Quaterly (November 2022): https://ip-quarterly.com/en/nuclear-trilemma-ukraine.

Lydia Wachs. “The Role of Nuclear Weapons in Russia’s Strategic Deterrence: Implications for European security and nuclear arms control.” SWP Comment (Fall 2022). https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/the-role-of-nuclear-weapons-in-russias-strategic-deterrence.

Lydia Wachs. “Wackelt jetzt auch New START? Die Zukunft der nuklearen Rüstungskontrolle ist ungewiss [Uncertain future for New START].“ SWP Short Comment (August 2022): https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/wackelt-jetzt-auch-new-start-die-zukunft-der-nuklearen-ruestungskontrolle-ist-ungewiss.

Lydia Wachs. “Las otras potencias [The Other Nuclear Powers].” La Vanguardia (June 2022): https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/vanguardia-dossier/revista/revista/20220610/8324548/rearme-nuclear.html.

Lydia Wachs, Liviu Horovitz. “Russia’s Nuclear Threats in the War against Ukraine: Consequences for the International Order, NATO and Germany.” SWP Comment (April 2022): https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/russias-nuclear-threats-in-the-war-against-ukraine.

Lydia Wachs, Claudia Major, Liviu Horovitz. “Der Westen sollte Putins Eskalationsspiel nicht mitspielen [The West should not reciprocate Putin’s escalation game].” Tagesspiegel (March 2022): https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/drohungen-mit-atomwaffen-der-westen-sollte-putins-eskalationsspiel-nicht-mitspielen/28177310.html.

Lydia Wachs, Liviu Horovitz, Claudia Major, Jonas Schneider. “Biden’s proposal for a US ‘sole purpose’ nuclear declaratory policy: Consequences for allies in Asia, NATO and Germany.” SWP Comment (December 2021): https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/bidens-proposal-for-a-us-sole-purpose-nuclear-declaratory-policy.

Lydia Wachs, Anna Clara Arndt, Liviu Horovitz. “The US ‘Sole Purpose’ Debate: A Backgrounder.” SWP Working Paper (December 2021): https://www.swp-berlin.org/publications/products/arbeitspapiere/The_US_Sole_Purpose_Debate_WorkingPaper.pdf.

Lydia Wachs, Liviu Horovitz, Claudia Major, Jonas Schneider, Anna Clara Arndt (eds.) “Euro-Atlantic Concerns regarding a US ‘Sole Purpose’ Policy A Review of Twenty-One National Perspectives.” SWP Working Paper (December 2021): https://www.swp-berlin.org/publications/products/arbeitspapiere/Working_Paper_European_SP_Perspectives.pdf.

Lydia Wachs. “Revival of the ‘Dead Hand’? Russian Political and Military Elites’ Debates on AI and Autonomy in Conventional and Nuclear Forces.” RUSI’s UK PONI Papers (2021): https://static.rusi.org/304_2021_PONI_Papers_0.pdf.

Lydia Wachs, Fabian Hoffman (et al.). “Preemptive Discussions: The Potential Implications of Integrating Deep Learning into Early Warning Systems.” BASIC (2021): https://basicint.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Emerging-Tech-Final.pdf.

Lydia Wachs, Anja Dahlmann, Elisabeth Hoffberger-Pippan. “Autonome Waffensysteme und menschliche Kontrolle [Autonomous Weapon Systems and Human Control].“ SWP Comment (April 2021): https://www.swp-berlin.org/publikation/autonome-waffensysteme-und-menschliche-kontrolle/.

Lydia Wachs, Paula Köhler. “Germany’s Greens Go Government: Winds of Change for Germany’s Foreign and Security Policy?” RUSI Comment (April 2021): https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/germanys-greens-go-government-winds-change-germanys-foreign-and-security-policy.

Lydia Wachs. “The Latecomer: Germany’s Debate On Armed Drones.“ RUSI Comment (December 2020): https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/latecomer-germanys-debate-armed-drones.

Lydia Wachs. “Germany’s Greens at 40: Between Pacifist Roots and Potential Government Responsibility.” RUSI Comment (February 2020): https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/germanys-greens-40-between-pacifist-roots-and-potential-government-responsibility.