CONTACT: Anna Schumann
Communications Director
aschumann@clw.org
(NOVEMBER 6 – WASHINGTON) Council for a Livable World is eager to work with the new administration and allies in Congress to reduce nuclear threats that endanger all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. We expect to push back against dangerous nuclear weapons and Pentagon policies such as those proposed in Project 2025 and Sen. Roger Wicker’s “21st Century Peace Through Strength.” Although the Trump campaign disavowed Project 2025, some of the ideas contained within are likely to resurface, particularly the mindset that the only way to address nuclear danger is to build more such weapons.
During President-elect Donald Trump’s first term, such dangers increased. Russian cheating led to the collapse of the landmark Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and we saw unprecedented efforts by China to increase its nuclear arsenal. The United States withdrew precipitously from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (known as the Iran nuclear deal). President-elect Trump also said he’d like to withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a threat he doubled down on during his 2024 campaign. Many traditional U.S. allies and partners began to look elsewhere for security, including discussions of developing nuclear weapons in places like South Korea.
President-elect Trump can reshape his legacy on foreign policy by prioritizing diplomacy over confrontation and understanding that true national strength is measured in peace and prosperity, not in numbers of missiles.
Council for a Livable World will continue our efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear threats through advocacy and electoral work as we have done for the past 62 years. For most of that time, arms control was a bipartisan interest, and we remain hopeful it can be again. President-elect Trump should:
- Take a critical look at nuclear modernization to ensure it will provide cost-effective deterrence. The United States’ nuclear arsenal is already a more-than-sufficient deterrent to potential adversaries. President-elect Trump should work with his Pentagon officials and Congress to comprehensively evaluate whether ongoing and proposed modernization plans are required to maintain an effective U.S. deterrent or whether a different blend of capabilities can yield a more strategically- and cost-effective result.
- Balance investments in nuclear and conventional weapons programs to meet 21st century challenges rather than satisfy Cold War-era doctrines. President-elect Trump should focus national security investment on systems that are strategically useful and more likely to keep Americans safe, not increase investment into costly and strategically questionable nuclear weapons systems.
- Support Ukraine with reasonable assistance and assist it in reaching a favorable disposition of the conflict for the Ukrainian people. Russia’s nuclear threats have given the conflict in Ukraine a nuclear dimension, and it is imperative that Russia not be perceived as gaining from nuclear blackmail. The President-elect should continue working with NATO and other friends of Ukraine toward an outcome that resolves the fighting while still emphasizing that Russia’s nuclear blackmail will not be acceptable.
- Reinforce alliance relationships. In facing strategic competitors, one key U.S. advantage is that we have a wide array of allies while Russia and China have far fewer and less substantial alliances. Allies reduce the burden on U.S. forces, and provide alternatives to nuclear deterrence. The President-elect should work with NATO, Japan, Korea and Australia on common approaches to defense and security.
- Demand Congress hold the Pentagon accountable for unnecessary and costly weapons programs. Cutting redundant, unwanted and dangerous programs is a great place to start saving American taxpayer dollars. As someone who prides himself on his business acumen, President-elect Trump should focus on partnering with Congress to install effective oversight mechanisms at the Department of Defense.
- Adhere to the limits set forth in the New START agreement. The last bilateral strategic arms control treaty is set to expire during President-elect Trump’s term. We do not need to build more intercontinental ballistic missiles, nor do we need to escalate tensions into an unconstrained nuclear arms race. As a sign of leadership, President-elect Trump should commit the United States to continue adhering to central limits of the New START treaty and demand Russia do the same.
- Extend and expand upon existing arms control engagement. Then-President Trump held two summits with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un about denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. President-elect Trump has an opportunity once again to instruct diplomats and experts to engage in low-level talks that could lead to real progress in establishing peace in Korea that could lead to reducing any risk of catastrophic consequence emanating from North Korea’s nuclear program.
- Uphold the global taboo on explosive nuclear weapons testing. The United States’ Stockpile Stewardship Program renders explosive nuclear testing unnecessary, and top U.S. military leaders affirm the safety, security and effectiveness of the nuclear arsenal every year. U.S. nuclear weapons, including those under development, are designed not to require testing. President-elect Trump should unequivocally state that the United States will not return to explosive nuclear weapons testing.
- Stop funding missile defense programs that do not work. Although theater missile defense has shown some success in Israel and Ukraine, strategic defenses (those targeting long-range intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles) cannot defend the United States against a largescale ballistic missile attack. Despite decades of research, development and testing, there remains no reliably effective anti-missile system to counter intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). President-elect Trump should reject calls to accelerate spending on such long- range missile defense programs until they have been proven to work.
President-elect Trump has the opportunity to cement his place in history by embracing diplomacy over force, demanding an end to wasteful and unnecessary nuclear programs, bringing nuclear doctrines out of the Cold War and again seeking an opportunity for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.
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