On Friday, the United States (US) released a nuclear policy review document outlining its intentions to expand its nuclear program as a recalibration move to top other country’s’ nuclear programs. Donald Trump has gone on record to declare that his nation is facing imminent nuclear attacks threat from North Korea after Kim Jong-un tested a missile that could reach America.
During Trump’s State of Union address recently, he told Americans that his administration has come up with strategies that would pressure North Korea into halting its nuclear programs. The policy review seems like one of the moves although the document does not mention North Korea. The document mentions Russia and China. Russia is accused of refusing to further reduce its nuclear capabilities while China is blamed for a military build-up in the South China Sea islands.
Moscow’s Response to the Statement
In its published 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, the US stated that Russia continues to violate a series of commitments and arms control treaties. The statement also accused Russia of refusing to further decrease its nuclear capabilities.
In a statement on Russia’s Foreign Ministry website, the country was opposed to the claims that the nuclear document suggested. Russia’s statement read that while scheming through the American document, one could notice that its confrontational sentiments and anti-Russia emphasis were present. The statement by the foreign ministry added that US’s account on Russia is another attempt of blatant falsification of information about Russia.
Russia reassured the world that it will have to take necessary steps to protecting itself from America’s decision to increase its nuclear capabilities.
Quotes on Russia from the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review Document
The Document alleged that in a nuclear perspective, Russia had violated the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty by using a banned system thus, in a broader context, Russia rejects its commitments and obligations under some agreements it made. As a result, the US is then forced to follow its New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) by negotiating another round in non-strategic nuclear forces.
The Nuclear Posture Review has many similarities with the Obama era 2010 nuclear review that reaffirmed US’s commitment to non-proliferation agreements. The only difference is US’s emphasis on the need to enhance its nuclear program to match up with that of Russia.
Russia urges the United States to drop its new logic for advancing nuclear capabilities and look up to teaming up in finding solutions to problems accumulating in the nuclear power struggle.
