The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 15th that the nuclear threat, which seemed to have vanished after the Cold War, is reemerging amid growing international tensions, including North Korea’s nuclear threat. The WSJ highlighted that there has never been a time when the disarmament efforts of nuclear-armed countries seemed as unrealistic as they do now.
Previously, after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia withdrew its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans all nuclear tests and strengthens verification mechanisms, in November last year. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads for the U.S. and Russia, is set to expire in February 2026. However, Russia announced its suspension from participation last year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently revealed plans to revise nuclear doctrine to include the consideration that if a non-nuclear country attacks Russia with the support of a nuclear-armed country, it would be regarded as a joint attack by the two countries. As such, Russia, the world’s second-largest nuclear power, is increasingly escalating its nuclear threat.
The newspaper pointed out that the nonproliferation regime, primarily overseen by the world’s largest nuclear powers, the U.S. and Russia, is facing a serious threat. This is compounded by complex variables such as North Korea’s nuclear threat and China’s rapid nuclear expansion.
In relation to the North Korean nuclear issue, WSJ highlighted statements by Elbridge Colby, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, who is considered a potential National Security Advisor candidate if Donald Trump were to be re-elected as the Republican presidential candidate. Colby suggested that it is inevitable to restructure the U.S.-South Korea alliance to focus on countering China, and mentioned that South Korea should be provided with all options, including nuclear ones, to respond to North Korea’s threat.
The newspaper also noted that South Korea’s Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has kept all possibilities open, including independent nuclear armament. It suggested that options, such as the redeployment of nuclear assets to the Korean Peninsula, which the Biden administration had completely ruled out, might gain momentum if a Trump administration were to come to power.