The Pentagon is drafting a new nuclear strategy to give the president\nof the United States a wider range of options in the event of a\npotential war with Russia or China. The strategy is reported to place\ngreater emphasis on the use of short-range tactical nuclear weapons in\nregional conflicts rather than relying solely on long-range strategic\nweapons.<\/p>\n
Citing Russia Today on Thursday (6\/8\/2026), the classified review is\nspecifically aimed at addressing scenarios in which a US ally is\nattacked by Russia or China. The report also states that the drafting of\nthe strategy is being directly overseen by the Pentagon\u2019s policy chief,\nElbridge Colby.<\/p>\n
The strategic review is known to have emerged around six months after\nthe expiry of the New START treaty, the last bilateral nuclear arms\nlimitation agreement between the US and Russia. A US defence official\nargued that the availability of a more diverse range of strategic\noptions has now become crucial.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving the president more realistic and credible nuclear options\nwill strengthen military deterrence,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n
The New START treaty, signed in 2010 and extended in 2021, limited\nboth countries to 1,550 strategic warheads. The rules, which also capped\n700 delivery systems and required verification transparency, officially\nexpired in February without a replacement draft in place.<\/p>\n
Although the bilateral agreement has lapsed, Moscow has stated that\nit has no intention of being the first party to take escalatory steps.\nRussia has pledged not to increase its warhead numbers as long as the US\nalso commits to taking the same approach.<\/p>\n
Before the treaty lapsed, Russian President Vladimir Putin had\nproposed that both countries continue to abide by its limits for another\nyear. The proposal was made while awaiting ongoing negotiations to find\na replacement agreement.<\/p>\n
However, US President Donald Trump at the time rejected the offer\nbecause he wanted a more comprehensive deal that would also include\nChina. Responding to Trump\u2019s insistence, Beijing, which is estimated to\npossess only around 600 nuclear warheads, immediately refused outright\nto join the talks.<\/p>\n
The Chinese government argued that countries with the largest nuclear\narsenals should bear the primary responsibility for disarmament.\nMeanwhile, Moscow also demanded that any expanded nuclear arms agreement\nmust include NATO members such as France and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
Russia had previously taken anticipatory steps by updating its\nnuclear doctrine in 2024. The new rules stipulate that aggression by a\nnon-nuclear state supported by a nuclear power will be treated directly\nas a joint attack.<\/p>\n
Weapons of mass destruction may also be used lawfully if conventional\naggression begins to pose a critical threat to the sovereignty of Russia\nor its ally, Belarus. Moscow has also consistently criticised the\ndeployment of US nuclear weapons in Europe as part of NATO\u2019s\nburden-sharing scheme.<\/p>\n
Russia has reiterated that it has no intention whatsoever of\nattacking any NATO member state. However, it has threatened to target\nits nuclear weapons directly at countries hosting such lethal weapons\nfacilities if they are aimed at Russia.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pentagon-drafts-new-nuclear-strategy-to-counter-russia-and-china-1786031505", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }