Biden’s nuclear shift: Nstrategy targets Russia, China, NK
President Joe Biden approved a top-secret nuclear strategy in March, reports "The New York Times". The document mandates American services to prepare for a "possible nuclear confrontation with Russia, China, and North Korea".
"NYT" points out that the plan approved by Biden "for the first time changes the direction of American deterrence strategy and focuses on China's nuclear potential", according to experts from the Pentagon, which may match the nuclear potential of the USA or Russia within the next decade.
Currently, China has around 500 nuclear warheads, while the United States and Russia have over 5,000. For decades, Washington has primarily focused on the Russian nuclear arsenal.
The American nuclear strategy is updated every four years. For security reasons, the full version of the document is not stored electronically, and its paper copies are only available to selected officials and commanders from the Pentagon.
Change in American nuclear strategy: "Washington has changed its thinking"
Pranay Vaddi, senior director of the National Security Council for arms control and non-proliferation, said that the new strategy "emphasizes the need for simultaneous nuclear deterrence of Russia, China, and North Korea".
"NYT" adds that the probability of Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang joining forces to challenge the United States seemed small until now. However, in light of the current tightening of relations between these capitals, "Washington's thinking has fundamentally changed".
"The new document reminds us that whoever becomes the new US president will face a changed and significantly more unstable nuclear landscape than the one that existed just three years ago," writes the New York daily.
The newspaper recalls that in recent years, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine. "We are dealing with a radicalised Russia; the idea that nuclear weapons will not be used in a conventional conflict is no longer a safe assumption," assessed Richard N. Haass, an American national security expert, quoted by "NYT".
North Korea is also continuously developing its nuclear potential. "Its nuclear arsenal is quickly approaching the size of Pakistan's and Israel's and is large enough in theory to coordinate threats with Moscow and Beijing," warns "NYT".
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Source: "The New York Times"
