US issues major nuclear weapons warning amid fear of all-out war: “When that day comes…”

Amid rising geopolitical tensions, the White House has issued a stark warning: the United States may need to expand its nuclear arsenal as Russia, China and North Korea expand their nuclear programs “at a breathtaking pace.”

Pranay Vaddi, special assistant to the president and senior director for arms control at the White House, told the Arms Control Association on Friday: “Unless there are changes in the adversary’s arsenals, we could reach a point in the coming years where an increase in the weapons currently deployed is required. We must be fully prepared to take those actions if the president makes that decision.”

If that day comes, Vaddi said, the conclusion will be that additional nuclear arsenals are needed to deter US adversaries while protecting the American people and Washington’s allies and partners.

Vaddi’s comments come at a time of growing tensions between the US, Russia and China, fuelling fears of open conflict. In May, Russia conducted strategic nuclear weapons exercises “in response to provocative statements and threats from individual Western politicians”.

Russian media regularly threaten nuclear strikes against Western powers such as the USA, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

In his speech, Vaddi warned that China, Russia and North Korea are “all expanding and diversifying their nuclear arsenals at a breakneck pace, while showing little or no interest in arms control.”

He said the three powers, with the help of Iran, are increasingly cooperating and coordinating in ways that are contrary to peace and stability, endanger the United States and its closest allies and partners, and increase regional tensions. He further claimed that these countries share missile and drone technology.

also read: Joe Biden experiences ‘embarrassing’ moment at D-Day event in France and makes strange claim about Vladimir Putin

US alarm follows Putin’s warning

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened that he could deploy conventional missiles within range of Western powers after some of those countries gave Ukraine permission for the first time to use their weapons against Russian military targets on its own territory.

Asked whether Russia should put a “nuclear gun to the West’s head” at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin replied that this was not necessary at the moment. “I do not think it has come to that. There is no need,” he said, referring to nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News that nuclear war posed a “greater threat” to the United States than climate change.

While Russia has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, according to 2023 statistics, a Reuters report says the United States has not exceeded the limit of 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads set in the 2010 New START agreement with Moscow.