According to John Bolton, US nuclear doctrines and deterrence strategies are aimed at one main adversary, but now there are two.
The United States must review and increase its nuclear arsenal for a possible war with Russia and China. This was stated by the American Republican politician and diplomat John Bolton in a column for The Washington Post.
According to him, the bipolar world that existed during the Cold War is a thing of the past. It was much simpler, since the States theoretically knew how to resist the Soviet Union. Now Washington has two potential opponents in the nuclear race – the Russian Federation and China.
According to Bolton, the extension in 2021 of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty by US President Joe Biden was a mistake, and Russian President Vladimir Putin did the world a “service” when he announced that his country was suspending participation in the treaty. Thus, the head of the Kremlin outlined the intentions of the Russian Federation.
Bolton believes that Russia and China are deepening their cooperation. Therefore, agreements between Washington and Moscow “in the style of the Cold War” are dangerous. Thus, START did not take into account tactical nuclear weapons, but only strategic ones, which Bolton sees as a big problem for the United States.
The politician noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely seeking to build up nuclear assets until it is too late for deterrence talks.
“The previous largely bipolar nuclear world was much simpler strategically and operationally. The fundamental nuclear doctrines and deterrence strategies of the United States assumed one main nuclear adversary,” Bolton said.
He believes that now the United States needs to revise its nuclear doctrine and reorient it towards a confrontation with two adversaries. According to Bolton, even after defeating Russia in a nuclear confrontation, the United States will face China. It is also possible to form a nuclear alliance between Russia and China against the United States.
In addition, as the expert emphasizes, it is necessary to take into account other countries that seek to obtain nuclear weapons and consider the United States their enemy. We are talking about Iran, North Korea and others.
“China’s impending achievement of equal status as a nuclear power and its alliance with nuclear superpower Russia is a global threat. Thank you, President Putin, for making the urgency clear,” Bolton said.
Recall that Putin announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in the nuclear arms treaty. The START-3 Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty between Russia and the United States was initially extended until February 2026. The President of the Russian Federation changed his decision, pointing to the US ultimatums and the nuclear ambitions of France and Great Britain.
The EU called on the Russian Federation to return to the nuclear agreement. The European Union calls on Moscow to fulfill its obligations under the START Treaty and not interfere with the inspection of Russia’s nuclear arsenals.
Experts explained what Putin’s withdrawal from START means. According to Matthew Ferman, a professor at the University of Texas, in the short term, Putin’s announcement of withdrawal from START will be more symbolic. But in the long run, worsening US-Russian relations could spark a new nuclear arms race.
