The draft review states that President Obama’s policy of cutting nuclear forces and reducing reliance on strategic weapons did not lead to cutbacks by Russia, China or North Korea. Instead, those nations have aggressively built up nuclear forces, potentially tipping the nuclear balance in ways that could upset the U.S. strategy to deter a nuclear war.
Mr. Obama outlined his nuclear policy in a landmark speech in 2009 in Prague, proclaiming he would seek a "world without nuclear weapons."
The last review, under the Obama administration in 2010, contained the flawed assessment that the threat from Russian nuclear forces had receded so dramatically that the United States could reduce its arsenal to levels even lower than those outlined under the 2010 U.S.-Russia New START accord. The treaty calls for limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear warhead levels to 1,550 deployed warheads by this February.
But instead of cutbacks, Russia under President Vladimir Putin has embarked on a major buildup of nuclear forces, including new missiles, launchers, submarines and bombers. Moscow also has adopted a military doctrine that places a greater emphasis on using nuclear arms in conflict.
Continues.