Under Donald Trump, the US abandoned the deal and sent US foreign policy spiralling. Is it any wonder the US snapback proposal was roundly rejected – by 13 of the 15 Security Council members within 24 hours?
With Trump reluctant to accept Russia’s extension offer as he focuses on including China in a new deal, the only nuclear arms control treaty left between the US and Russia is in danger of expiring, making the world a much more dangerous place.
The tense stand-off between the nuclear-armed neighbours shines a light on their growing arsenals, particularly tactical nuclear weapons that many mistakenly believe could shock an adversary into submission.
China’s economic strength, coupled with its military might, make the US’ containment strategy much more dangerous this time around.
The US president does not have a great record on international arms control agreements, but deals with North Korea and Russia may be on the cards. With the risk of proliferation increasing, that can only be a good thing.
China has thus far maintained a restrained approach to nuclear weapons – seeing them as ‘paper tigers’, more for show than use. The new US nuclear posture review, however, specifically threatens Beijing and may cause it to strengthen deterrence in return.
American foreign policy, especially in the Asia-Pacific, depends on sending clear messages to allies and adversaries alike, and the unclear signals coming from the Trump administration could have catastrophic consequences.
The effective use of vaunted missile defence systems such the Aegis and THAAD carries so many caveats that the US would never lightly attempt a shoot-down, because failure would be catastrophic
Calls for a pre-emptive strike by the US are extremely reckless and will only lead to a massive loss of life