The US admits that Russia possesses the world's largest and most diverse nuclear arsenal.
(Baonghean.vn) - Russia currently has the largest and most diverse nuclear arsenal in the world, Commander of the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), General Anthony Cotton said in a speech before the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 29.
“Russia now possesses the largest and most diverse nuclear arsenal of any nation,” Cotton said in his testimony before the committee. In addition to the traditional strategic triad, Russia is enhancing and modernizing its nuclear options, Cotton said.
“These include nuclear-capable hypersonic systems such as the Tsirkon land-attack cruise missile and the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, the latest of which Russia has frequently used against Ukraine in a conventional role. These hypersonic systems add diversity and flexibility to Russia’s nuclear arsenal and complement its stockpile of around 2,000 theater nuclear weapons that are not subject to New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) limits,” he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in January that Russia saw no possibility of holding a strategic dialogue with Washington at this time. He stressed that the West must stop its anti-Russian rhetoric to create an opportunity for negotiations. Russia did not rule out the possibility of negotiations, nor “the possibility of finding a political and diplomatic solution” to the issue of strategic stability, but the US wanted to restore control over Russia’s nuclear arsenal under the guise of reciprocity, Lavrov criticized.
