Washington, Feb 3: The Trump administration has announced it will continue much of the Obama administration’s nuclear weapons policy, but take a more aggressive stance toward Russia. It said Russia must be convinced it would face ‘‘unacceptably dire costs’’ if it were to threaten even a limited nuclear attack in Europe.
In a 74-page report summarising the review’s findings, the US additionally warned countries against supporting non-state actors and terrorist groups trying to obtain or employ nuclear weapons. The report calls North Korea a ‘‘clear and grave threat’’ to the US and its allies. It asserts that any North Korean nuclear attack against the US or its allies will result in ‘‘the end of that regime.’’
It also casts China as a potential nuclear adversary, saying the US arsenal is tailored to ‘‘prevent Beijing from mistakenly concluding’’ that it could gain advantage by using its nuclear weapons in Asia, or that ‘‘any use of nuclear weapons, however limited, is acceptable.’’ The sweeping review of US nuclear policy does not call for any net increase in strategic nuclear weapons — a position that stands in contrast to President Donald Trump’s statement, in a tweet shortly before he took office, that the US must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes. In his State of the Union address Tuesday, he made no mention of expansion, though he said the arsenal must deter acts of aggression.
US officials have expressed concern over the possibility of nuclear weapons of Pakistan landing into the hands of non-state actors or terrorist groups. Pakistan has repeatedly denied such fears and asserted that its nuclear arsenals are one of the safest and secure ones in the world. Shannon said nuclear terrorism remained a major threat in the 21st century and countries need to work to mitigate it.
“The potential threat of non-state actors getting their hands on a nuclear weapon remains at the front of all of our minds,’’ Shannon told reporters at the Pentagon. In a written statement, Trump said US strategy is designed to make use of nuclear weapons less likely. In an apparent reference to the threat of catastrophic cyberattack, he said the US aims to strengthen deterrence of major attacks against the US and its allies, including those that “may not come in the form of nuclear weapons.” The Trump administration concluded that the US should largely follow its predecessor’s blueprint for modernizing the nuclear arsenal, including new bomber aircraft, submarines and land-based missiles. It also endorsed adhering to existing arms control agreements, including the New START treaty that limits the United States and Russia each to 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads on a maximum of 700 deployed launchers.
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