US develops tougher strategy on nuclear weapons

A senior representative of the Biden administration told Semafor that the US sees the need to adopt a more competitive approach to arms control and nonproliferation in the context of growing global tensions and to make some adjustments to our posture and capabilities.

It is expected that on Friday, June 7, the White House Senior Director for Arms Control Pranay Vaddi will outline the new direction at an arms control conference.

Last year, at this meeting, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the US was ready to discuss arms control with China and Russia without preconditions. However, Beijing and Moscow effectively rejected these proposals, prompting the US to change its approach.

The interlocutor also added that the administration still hopes to bring its geopolitical rivals to the negotiating table but wants to show that refusing negotiations will have consequences.

"Russia and China will face a diminished security environment if they continue to refuse to engage," he said.

While both countries have offered relatively little specifics on future policy changes, the administration's increasingly tough thinking has been reflected in decisions to develop a new US nuclear gravity bomb and efforts to extend the service life of some Ohio-class nuclear submarines.

The official also added that the Biden administration is also considering further development of US nuclear forces in the face of growing nuclear threats and is working to provide key allies with long-range strike capabilities and surveillance capabilities necessary for self-defense.

The White House is also beginning to lay the groundwork for key nuclear issues that Biden will face if reelected. While the US and Russia remain legally bound by the New START Treaty, the latest agreement limiting the world's two largest nuclear arsenals expires in 2026.

"If there’s a second term, a key consideration for our administration is how we approach that date, February 6, 2026. We have to think about an environment in which we’re unconstrained, but so is Russia, and so is China," the official said.

Russia's nuclear threats

On May 21, Russia initiated the first stage of training involving the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, utilizing the Iskander complexes and Kinjal missiles.

The Institute for War Studies noted that Russia's training aims to intimidate Western politicians and coerce them into voluntarily conceding to actions favorable to this country.

According to the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense, nuclear blackmail is a regular practice for Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.