Biden's nuclear shift: China, Russia, and North Korea in focus

President Joe Biden approved a top-secret nuclear strategy last March, reports "The New York Times." The document commits American services to prepare for a "potential nuclear confrontation with Russia, China, and North Korea."

"The New York Times" emphasizes that the plan approved by Biden "for the first time shifts the direction of American deterrence strategy to focus on China's nuclear capabilities," which—according to Pentagon experts—could match the nuclear capabilities of the US or Russia within the next decade.

Currently, China possesses about 500 nuclear warheads, while the United States and Russia have over 5,000 each. For decades, Washington primarily focused on the Russian nuclear arsenal.

The American nuclear strategy is updated every four years. For security reasons, the full version of the document is not stored electronically, and its paper copies are only available to select officials and commanders in the Pentagon.

Pranay Vaddi, senior director of the National Security Council for arms control and non-proliferation, said that the new strategy "emphasizes the need for simultaneous nuclear deterrence of Russia, China, and North Korea."

"The New York Times" adds that the probability of Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang joining forces to challenge the United States has so far seemed low. However, in the face of the current tightening of relations between these capitals, "Washington's thinking has fundamentally changed."

"The new document reminds that whoever becomes the new president of the USA will face a changed and significantly more unstable nuclear landscape than the one that existed just three years ago," writes the New York daily.

The newspaper recalls that in recent years Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. "We are dealing with a radicalized Russia; the idea that nuclear weapons will not be used in a conventional conflict is no longer a safe assumption," assessed Richard N. Haass, an American national security expert, as quoted by "The New York Times."

North Korea is also continuously developing its nuclear capabilities. "Its nuclear arsenal is quickly approaching the sizes of Pakistan's and Israel's and is large enough that it could theoretically coordinate threats with Moscow and Beijing," warns "The New York Times."