The United States acknowledges the potential need for a nuclear response if necessary but emphasizes maintaining a portion of its arsenal for continued deterrence, according to Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan, spokesperson for the Pentagon's Strategic Command (STRATCOM).
"We must have reserve capacity. You wouldn't use up all your resources to win because then you'd have nothing left to deter future threats," Buchanan explained, as reported by The Moscow Times.
He added that America's nuclear strategy should ensure the country can "continue leading globally."
However, Buchanan stressed that the U.S. opposes the use of nuclear weapons and seeks to avoid scenarios where nuclear exchanges occur. He urged ongoing dialogue with nations like Russia, China, and North Korea to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict.
On November 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an updated nuclear doctrine.
The new policy permits the use of nuclear weapons if Russia faces drone attacks, non-nuclear missile strikes, or threats to its territory. It also states that aggression against Russia or its allies by a non-nuclear state supported by a nuclear state will be treated as a collective attack on Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hope that Western nations would review the updated doctrine. He emphasized Moscow's commitment to preventing nuclear war, despite recent tensions. Following this, the U.S. National Security Council stated that it sees no need to revise its current nuclear deterrence strategy.
Meanwhile, reports from The Moscow Times suggest that Western nations are becoming less responsive to Putin's nuclear threats.
Russian sources acknowledged that the Kremlin has observed this shift, noting, "There are more nuclear threats, but they no longer scare anyone."
As of January 2023, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated Russia holds approximately 4,500 nuclear warheads, while the United States possesses around 3,700.
