Political tensions dominate the news and headlines worldwide. Recognising the vast arsenal of (nuclear) weapons that many leaders have at hand, it becomes clear and undeniable that good international relations and foreign policies remain vital for a peaceful existence. Considering the Ukraine crisis, that has been extensively magnified in the media the past year, Putin’s Russia is (often) considered as one of the biggest threats faced in the West. However, according to political scientist prof. dr. Tom Sauer, an expert in foreign relations and nuclear weapon control, these stressed WesternsRussian relations are not merely the blame of Putin. He argues how certain actions in the aftermath of the Cold War have inevitably resulted in the currently convoluted relationship. A former research fellow at Harvard University's International Security Program, Tom Sauer is an associate professor in international politics at the Universiteit Antwerpen in Belgium. He teaches courses on international relations, security, and arms control, and he is the spokesman of the university’s Research Group of International Politics. Tom also is the author of the books like “De strijd voor vrede” (‘The battle for peace’), “Eliminating nuclear weapons: the role of missile defence” and “Nuclear Inertia”. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx