U.S. Media Claims Pentagon Wants to Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons Against China and Russia, Experts: Brazen "Nuclear Blackmail"

[Global Times Special Correspondent in Russia, Xiao Xinxin, Global Times Reporter Ding Yazhi] On the 5th, NBC News cited five sources stating that the U.S. Department of Defense is drafting a new nuclear strategy, the core content of which is that the U.S. may use tactical nuclear weapons in the event of regional war with China or Russia. The report states that this new strategy, which is classified, challenges the established nuclear weapons policy that the U.S. has adhered to for decades. The British Daily Telegraph reported on the 5th: "This marks a significant shift in U.S. military tactics." A Chinese military expert interviewed by the Global Times on the 6th stated that the U.S. military had publicly discussed the use of tactical nuclear weapons and small nuclear weapons in regional conflicts a few years ago, which faced widespread criticism domestically and internationally, and related rhetoric had once disappeared. Now, the U.S. military is reiterating this stance, essentially aiming to implement strategic deterrence against countries like China and Russia, which amounts to blatant "nuclear blackmail."

According to various foreign media reports, Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl is revising this nuclear strategy. Kahl has long advocated for the use of short-range tactical nuclear weapons. These types of weapons have smaller warhead yields and shorter ranges, intended for battlefield strikes or targeting specific military objectives, rather than destroying entire cities, but their destructive power remains extremely potent.

A senior Pentagon official told NBC, "Our position is that we need to have credible nuclear options."

The report states that under the new U.S. nuclear strategy, in the event of a regional war, the U.S. will rely more on short-range tactical nuclear weapons rather than long-range strategic missiles. Sources familiar with the relevant plans indicated that the main scenario for this strategy's application is: when U.S. allies are attacked by Russia or China during regional conflicts, tactical nuclear weapons will be included in the U.S. response toolbox.

This proposed draft has sparked multiple questions and criticisms upon its exposure. The Daily Telegraph reported that this policy shift, still in the drafting stage, has reignited debates about U.S. nuclear policy from the Cold War era: how should the U.S. manage its nuclear arsenal to deter conflicts without escalating the risk of nuclear war?

Critics argue that placing tactical nuclear weapons in a more prominent position makes them appear more suitable for conventional conflicts, thereby lowering the threshold for their use. There are also warnings that this policy could weaken the U.S. military's readiness for scenarios involving long-range strategic missile strikes.

The Global Times reporter noted that in the comment section of NBC's news article, many netizens expressed shock and sarcasm. One netizen commented: "I thought we were trying to prevent other countries from acquiring nuclear weapons. Instead, we are going to use them ourselves." Another comment sarcastically stated: "New strategy: press the big red button for a stunning nuclear explosion!"

According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant on the 5th, Dmitry Trenin, chairman of the Russian International Affairs Council, stated that if the U.S. finalizes this new nuclear strategy and subsequently leads to the deployment of more tactical nuclear weapons in Europe and Asia, it will significantly exacerbate tensions between the U.S. and its so-called adversaries, and the U.S. itself will suffer serious damage to its security. At that point, conflicts will no longer be limited to regional levels but will evolve into global conflicts. The U.S. will not only fail to enhance its own and its allies' security but will instead invite more severe direct threats.

This Russian expert also believes that the U.S. cannot answer or bear the consequences of whether using tactical nuclear weapons against China or Russia would lead to nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland.

Military expert Zhang Junsha stated in an interview with the Global Times on the 6th that the attributes of short-range tactical nuclear weapons and small nuclear weapons are difficult to distinguish, which can easily lead to military misunderstandings and strategic misjudgments. The U.S. rhetoric behind this has practical considerations: the U.S. has struggled for years against non-nuclear Iran, suffering significant military wear and tear, and its conventional military strength is under scrutiny. Zhang Junsha stated that if the U.S. includes short-range tactical nuclear weapons in its military options, imagining their use in regional conflicts with China and Russia, whether deploying tactical or strategic nuclear weapons will inevitably provoke strong retaliation from the affected countries.

Zhang Junsha stated that China has consistently adhered to a no-first-use nuclear policy, but in the face of a nuclear strike, it will implement self-defense counterattacks. "We will continue to uphold a defensive nuclear strategy, adhere to the principle of no first use of nuclear weapons, and continuously build and improve our strategic nuclear counterattack and second-strike capabilities to deter 'nuclear blackmail' and resolutely defend national sovereignty and security."

Zhang Junsha said: "The U.S. releasing such rhetoric is, to some extent, also testing the international community's reaction. The U.S. should remain cautious and abandon this extremely irresponsible and dangerous idea."