In his interview, German nuclear strategist Karl-Heinz Kamp provides nuanced insights into the development, logic, and contradictions of nuclear deterrence during the Cold War. Kamp describes his career path, from his early interest in security policy as a student in Bonn to his subsequent work at various security institutions in Germany and NATO. The interview highlights Germany’s unique role as a non-nuclear power within the Western alliance and its tense relationship with the United States, which was supposed to guarantee the country’s nuclear deterrence. The interview makes clear that deterrence is based on fundamental dilemmas, particularly the credibility problem of extended deterrence and the paradoxical necessity of demonstrating readiness to use force to prevent its actual use.