Biden signs new guidance on conditions for U.S. use of nuclear weapons

Joe Biden has signed new guidelines on the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons by the United States. This was reported by Pranay Waddy, Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for Arms Control, Disarmament and Nonproliferation in the White House National Security Council.

“President Biden recently signed updated guidance on conditions for the use of nuclear weapons that take into account the realities of the new nuclear era. They emphasize the need to accommodate the growth and diversity of the PRC’s nuclear arsenal and the need to deter Russia, the PRC, and North Korea simultaneously,” he said, speaking at the annual meeting of the Washington-based Arms Control Association.

“They also reaffirm our commitment to use arms control and other means to minimize the number of nuclear weapons needed to achieve the goals, and reaffirm that the United States will continue to adhere to the New START restrictions throughout the life of the treaty, provided that Russia does the same,” Biden’s special assistant added. New START in the United States is commonly referred to as the 2010 Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, also called the START and START-3 in Russia.

“Unlike our adversaries, we will not develop radiation-emitting nuclear-powered cruise missiles or nuclear weapons designed to be launched into orbit, which would be a clear violation of the Outer Space Treaty,” Waddy said.