A source has issued a stark warning, suggesting that US President Donald Trump may have put the world in “extreme peril” by sending a worrying nuclear “message”. The Western security source claimed that Trump has “sent a message” that the nation’s nuclear umbrella could “one day be folded”. A nuclear umbrella is a commitment made by a nuclear-armed state to protect non-nuclear nations under its protection if they agree not to pursue nuclear weapons. Currently, the US extends this protection to 30 countries.
However, according to reports in the I newspaper, Trump’s ‘America First’ policy could potentially lead to an arms race. The source warned: “Whether he meant it or not, Trump has sent a message that the US nuclear umbrella might one day be folded.” They added: “That is a sentiment of extreme peril because the list of countries with the technical ability to build a nuke is longer than many might realise. Once a South Korea or a Germany signals that they’re going for the bomb, it will be hard indeed to stop others following suit.”
In a stark warning of nuclear arms proliferation, senior officials from US-allied nations such as Poland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea have escalated their rhetoric regarding the acquisition of technology needed to develop such weapons, reports the Irish Star.
At the same time, Iran is reportedly just weeks away from being able to produce a nuclear bomb if it decides to proceed. Additionally, Egypt, Taiwan, and Turkey are seen as potential contenders in the nuclear race should other countries take the lead.
Donald Trump recently lamented the expenditure on America’s nuclear capabilities, referring to them as “big monsters” that could cause unimaginable destruction.
Speaking to Sunday Morning Futures, he said: “The greatest is sitting on shelves in various countries called ‘nuclear weapons’ that are big monsters that can blow your heads off for miles and miles and miles.”
He continued by saying: “It’s just bad you have to spend all this money on something that if it’s used, it’s probably the end of the world.”
These comments come amidst ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. This week saw the agreement to a partial ceasefire, encompassing energy infrastructure and the Black Sea region.
Russia currently leads the global tally with over 5,500 nuclear warheads, surpassing the United States, which possesses 5,044 warheads distributed across its own territory and in allied countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Turkey.