GEOPOLITYCZNY WYMIAR POSZUKIWAŃ RÓWNOWAGI STRATEGICZNEJ I NARZĘDZI ODSTRASZANIA W POLITYCE BEZPIECZEŃSTWA USA W XXI WIEKU

The aim of the text is an analysis of changes in U.S. deterrence policy after the Cold Warunder the conditions of the “second nuclear age”, the growing number of countries in thepossession of weapons of mass destruction and threats of its seizure by aggressive roguestates governed by dictatorships or terrorist organizations. The basic modifications ofU.S. deterrence policies incorporated the replacement of one major threat and rival bymany potential state and non-state adversaries of diverse potentials and capacities,demanding the introduction of “tailored” deterrence. In the post-Cold War era therelations with mighty non-democratic powers, Russia and China, and countries hostiletowards the West developing weapons of mass destruction and its delivery means (NorthKorea, Iran) remained the geopolitical challenges of most serious significance for theUnited States. A geopolitical challenge of particularly high difficulty concerned agrowing hostility of Russia towards the Western powers, multiplied by the enlargementof NATO and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia, which became areason for the authoritarian and violent regime of Vladimir Putin to start a militaryaggression, which opened, altogether with an illegal annexation of Crimea, the era of theso called “New Cold War”. In reference to the dissertations of H. Mackinder,particularly important remains the question concerning the position of Eastern Europeas a key to Eurasian “Heartland” and an area striving for independence in circumstancesof Russian pressure.