Biden lists ‘options’ for Trump to support US nuclear forces
Date
11/17/2024 7:18:16 AM
(MENAFN) The Biden administration is developing plans to potentially expand the U.S. nuclear arsenal to deter threats from Russia, China, and North Korea if arms-control efforts fail, according to a report by the *Wall Street Journal*. Earlier this year, President Biden signed a classified directive instructing the Pentagon to create options to deter aggression from these nuclear powers.
The focus of the policy is to enhance non-nuclear systems and deepen alliances with U.S. partners in Europe and Asia. However, the Pentagon is also preparing for the possibility of increasing the U.S. nuclear stockpile should these diplomatic efforts be unsuccessful or delayed. Senior sources told the *WSJ* that if relations continue to deteriorate with Russia, while China and North Korea expand their nuclear capabilities, the U.S. may need to bolster its nuclear deterrence by deploying additional warheads.
While the Biden administration is laying the groundwork, the final decision will rest with President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office in January. Trump will inherit a set of options, including increasing warhead numbers on Minuteman III missiles, deploying more submarine-based nuclear weapons, or restarting development of a submarine capable of carrying nuclear-armed cruise missiles.
The U.S. and Russia hold more than 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, and tensions between the two countries, especially over the conflict in Ukraine, have hindered progress in arms-control negotiations. Biden has expressed willingness to engage in nuclear talks with Russia, but Moscow has dismissed these efforts as politically motivated. Trump had previously criticized the New START treaty, the last major arms-control agreement between the two powers, due to its exclusion of China.
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