President Joe Biden has approved a highly classified strategic plan regarding nuclear weapons, shifting Washington's deterrence strategy to address the growing nuclear arsenal of China.
Prepare for Potential Nuclear Confrontation
According to Portal Obronny the guidelines for nuclear weapon use were initially approved by Biden in March but had not been publicly disclosed by the White House until now.
The document, which is updated approximately every four years, is so secretive that it exists only in a limited number of paper copies, with no electronic versions.
According to the report, Biden has instructed U.S. military forces to prepare for a potential coordinated nuclear confrontation with Russia, China, and North Korea.
For the first time, the document thoroughly examines whether the U.S. is ready to respond to potential nuclear crises that may arise simultaneously or sequentially, utilizing a mix of nuclear and conventional weaponry.
"The president recently issued updated nuclear use guidelines to account for multiple adversaries armed with nuclear weapons," said Vipin Narang, a nuclear strategist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a former Pentagon official.
"In particular, these guidelines reflect the significant increase in the size and diversity of China’s nuclear arsenal."
Deter Russia, China and North Korea
Additionally, Pranay Vaddi, the director for arms control and non-proliferation at the National Security Council, emphasized that the new strategy underscores the need to deter Russia, China, and North Korea simultaneously.
The evolving partnership between Russia and China, along with conventional weapons supplied by North Korea and Iran to Russia for the war in Ukraine, has fundamentally altered Washington's strategic thinking.
Intelligence agencies are investigating whether Moscow is providing support for North Korean and Iranian missile programs in return.
Richard N. Haass, a former senior State Department and National Security Council official and the retired president of the Council on Foreign Relations, warned that with Russia's radicalization, the assumption that nuclear weapons would not be used in a conventional conflict is no longer safe.
