Washington has threatened Moscow and Beijing with an arms race if they “refuse to engage”
Washington is considering increasing the number of its atomic warheads in the coming years, given the international situation, a senior official on the National Security Council has said.
Pranay Vaddi is the senior director for arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation at the NSC. He gave the keynote address at the Arms Control Association’s annual meeting on Friday.
“We may reach a point in the coming years where an increase from current deployed numbers is required,” said Vaddi, according to Reuters. “We need to be fully prepared to execute if the president makes that decision.”
“If that day comes, it will result in a determination that more nuclear weapons are required to deter our adversaries and protect the American people and our allies and partners,” he added.
Some of the planning is being made in the expectation that US President Joe Biden will win a second term in office this November.
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