Putin said he saw nothing new or remarkable about Trump’s own statement about wanting to expand USA nuclear capabilities anyway.
Reactions to Brzezinski’s reporting reflected both on the dangers of Trump’s statements and the surreal setting of the holiday-themed morning show. The release of the letter came shortly after both leaders expressed similar thoughts on expanding and strengthening the two countries’ nuclear arsenals.
The US now has an estimated arsenal of about 7,000 nuclear warheads, second only to Russian Federation, which has a few hundred more. They believe the USA has allowed its weapons to become near-obsolescent, even as rivals like Russian Federation and China, have embarked on upgrading programmes. He also cast the modernization of Russian nuclear arsenals as a necessary response to the US missile defense system. During his campaign, Trump suggested that countries including Japan and South Korea should consider building their own nuclear arsenals – remarks he later insisted he never said.
The tweet has concerned many in the worldwide community as it directly contradicts over 30 years of US policy for nuclear nonproliferation.
In his wide-ranging remarks, the Russian leader claimed that Russia’s military is stronger than any potential aggressor, but acknowledged that the USA military is bigger. So, what is Trump trying to distract us from this time?
“It would have been better having done something five years ago”, Trump added, according to Rosenbaum. “Three times he asked at one point if we had them why can’t we use them”. Why do we make them?
“I was just in Moscow and the Russians are saying ‘Look at those fools, look at their their democracy.’ Absolutely”, she said. You start off telling them, ‘Let’s get rid of it.’ If that doesn’t work you then start cutting off aid.
But the President Elect has not elaborated on what prompted him to say it, and people are now anxious about World War Three.
In reality, Mr Trump may be forced into some major nuclear decisions even before such things happen.
The world has certainly changed in many ways since 1987, notably the breakup of the Soviet Union that left the United States as the world’s lone superpower.
The Donald Trump transition team released a statement on Friday attaching a letter sent to the president-elect from Russian President Vladimir Putin that called for “bilateral cooperation” between the two leaders’ world powers.