The White House has issued a significant warning, indicating that the United States might need to expand its nuclear weapon in response to the rapid growth of nuclear programs in Russia, China, and North Korea. Pranay Vaddi, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Arms Control at the White House, addressed the Arms Control Association on Friday, stating, “Without a change in adversary arsenals, we might need to increase our current deployed numbers in the coming years. We must be fully prepared to act if the president decides so.”
Vaddi emphasized that such a move would be necessary to deter adversaries and ensure the safety of the American people, as well as protect Washington’s allies and partners. His comments come at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S., Russia, and China, raising fears of potential conflict. In May, Russia conducted strategic nuclear weapon training in response to provocative statements and threats from Western officials. Russian media has also frequently threatened nuclear strikes on Western nations, including the U.S., France, the U.K., and the Netherlands.
During his speech, Vaddi highlighted that China, Russia, and North Korea are rapidly expanding and diversifying their nuclear arsenals with little interest in arms control. He warned that these countries, with assistance from Iran, are increasingly collaborating in ways that threaten peace and stability, endangering the U.S. and its allies, and exacerbating regional tensions. Additionally, he noted that these nations are sharing missile and drone technology.
In related news, earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the potential deployment of conventional missiles within range of Western powers following authorization by some countries for Ukraine to use their weapons against Russian targets. At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin dismissed the immediate need for nuclear weapons, stating, “I don’t think that such a case has come. There is no such need.”
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News, stated that nuclear war poses a “bigger threat” to the United States than climate change. Despite Russia having the largest nuclear arsenal in the world as of 2023, the U.S. has not exceeded the limit of 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads established in the 2010 New START deal with Moscow, according to a Reuters report.