President Obama pledged to pursue another round of nuclear weapons cuts with Russia in his State of the Union address last night, but stopped short of offering up a specific plan for new nuclear reductions as some published reports had anticipated. While the Administration is expected to seek to reduce the size of its deployed stockpile to approximately 1,000 weapons, down from the 1,550-warhead ceiling established by the New START Treaty, Obama did not outline any details in his speech. Still, the inclusion of nuclear weapons issues in the annual address reinforced the belief that nuclear security would be a priority during the President’s second term. “We will engage Russia to seek further reductions in our nuclear arsenals, and continue leading the global effort to secure nuclear materials that could fall into the wrong hands—because our ability to influence others depends on our willingness to lead,” Obama said.
He also directed a warning toward the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran. “America will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the world’s most dangerous weapons,” Obama said. “The regime in North Korea must know that they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations. Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only isolate them further, as we stand by our allies, strengthen our own missile defense, and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats. Likewise, the leaders of Iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution, because a coalition stands united in demanding that they meet their obligations, and we will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon.”
