“The Pentagon is planning to develop two new sea-based nuclear weapons to respond to Russia and China’s growing military capabilities, according to a sweeping Defense Department review of nuclear strategy,” says the Wall Street Journal yesterday.
“The planned move has ignited a broad debate over future U.S. nuclear strategy at a time when the nation also faces the threat of proliferation, in particular from North Korea’s efforts to expand its arsenal of nuclear weapons and develop long-range missiles capable of delivering them.”
Indeed, just last week, the Trump administration “approved the sale of approved a $133.3 million missile defense sale to Japan to meet the escalating threat from North Korea—by shooting down the rogue nation’s own ballistic missiles” (see Fox News’ full report on this story here: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/09/us-oks-selling-japan-missiles-to-shoot-down-north-korean-missiles.html).
While these are serious actions on the part of the U.S. and its allies, no one appears to be abandoning discussion just yet.
A major international meeting today in Vancouver will serve as a place for many countries to discuss ways to keep North Korea from developing its nuclear capabilities. According to Reuters, “[fo]reign ministers and senior officials from 20 nations will hold a full-day meeting in Vancouver on Tuesday, hosted by the United States and Canada, looking to increase diplomatic and financial pressure on North Korea to give up development of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States, a program that has raised fears of a new war.
“Canadian and U.S. officials say the meeting will discuss ways to ensure implementation of wide-ranging U.N. sanctions, including steps agreed last month to further limit Pyongyang’s access to refined petroleum products, crude oil and industrial goods.”
