Council for a Livable World

Political action to reduce nuclear threats

  • Elections
    • Senate Candidates
    • House Candidates
    • Political Analysis
    • Who We’ve Helped Elect
  • Legislation
    • Key National Security Legislation
    • National Security Legislative Calendar
    • Legislative Achievements
  • Take Action
    • Avoiding Oppenheimer’s Nuclear Nightmare in Our Current Reality
    • Issues
    • Join Our Email List
    • Become a Member
  • About
    • Staff
    • Press
    • Newsletter
    • Boards & Experts
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Financials and Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Search
You are here: Home / Press Room / Council in the News / Op-ed: How Biden Can Leverage Missile Defense in His Summit with Putin

June 15, 2021

Op-ed: How Biden Can Leverage Missile Defense in His Summit with Putin

Executive Director John Tierney and Council Board member Joe Cirincione wrote an op-ed in Defense One about how President Biden can correct the mistakes of the past, halt an arms race, and put the United States in the driver’s seat by putting missile defense on the table in strategic stability talks with Russia.

President Joe Biden has forgotten more about missile defense than most people know. He can now use that knowledge in his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to reorient programs that have cost more than $400 billion over the decades yet cannot reliably protect the nation.

Biden can correct the mistakes of the past. The future of missile defense will be thoroughly studied as part of a broader nuclear posture/deterrence review that will be started in the few weeks. Mindful that less expensive offensive weapons can always be developed to overwhelm, sabotage, or destroy any conceivable defensive system, his administration can return to diplomacy, seek verifiable mutual reductions, prevent the development of new threats, and address rising concerns such as the weaponization of space and cyber threats. That would allow the transfer of funds from the weapons that don’t work to programs that will rebuild and add to America’s security. 

Twenty years ago, Senator Biden knew missile defenses were unproven and destabilizing. Today, President Biden can act on his beliefs to correct the distortions created by decades of bad choices and bloated budgets. Read more

Posted in: Council in the News, Press Room

Recent Posts

  • Council: Front and Center: August 20, 2023 August 21, 2023
  • Research Analyst July 26, 2023
  • Council: Front and Center: July 23, 2023 July 23, 2023
  • U.S. destroys last of massive chemical weapons stockpile July 7, 2023
  • Statement on the Passing of Daniel Ellsberg June 18, 2023
Council for a Livable World logo

820 1st Street NE, Suite LL-180
Washington, D.C. 20002
Phone: 202.543.4100

Elections

  • Meet The Candidates
  • Senate Candidates
  • House Candidates
  • Who We’ve Helped Elect

Legislation

  • Key National Security Legislation
  • National Security Legislative Calendar
  • Legislative Achievements

Take Action

  • Issues
  • Join Our Email List
  • Become a Member

About

  • History & Mission
  • Staff
  • Press
  • Newsletter
  • Boards & Experts
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Financials and Annual Reports
  • Contact Us
  • Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

© 2023 Council for a Livable World
Privacy Policy