Pentagon on how war in Ukraine affected Russia's nuclear forces
Illustrative photo: Russia’s nuclear potential (Russian media)
The war against Ukraine has not weakened Russia’s nuclear potential, which is almost fully modernized, according to US Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Lieutenant General Andrew J. Gebara.
According to a Pentagon representative, Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces and their modernization have been a long-term priority. The war in Ukraine has not significantly weakened them, since funding for nuclear capabilities continues to be allocated with priority over tasks related to Ukraine.
Lieutenant General Andrew Gebara also addressed the rapid growth of China’s nuclear arsenal, noting that in just two years, Beijing has expanded its deterrence capabilities to an amount roughly equivalent to the entire nuclear arsenal of the United Kingdom. He stressed that China made the decision years ago to move away from minimal deterrence and pursue the kind of strategic breakthrough now being observed.
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing US President Donald Trump, the United States is negotiating with Russia to limit the number of nuclear weapons, with plans to involve China in the dialogue.
In 2023, Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which remains in effect until February 2026. Ahead of his meeting with Trump in Alaska, Vladimir Putin suggested that a new arms control agreement could be among the topics for discussion.
