A new report has revealed that the US might have to prepare to face simultaneous wars with Russia and China.
Findings
The report, published by the Strategic Posture Commission, also advised the Biden Administration to step up the country’s military modernisation efforts in conventional and nuclear warfare.
“The United States and its allies must be ready to deter and defeat both adversaries simultaneously… The US-led international order and the values it upholds are at risk from the Chinese and Russian authoritarian regimes,” the report stated.
It further claimed that security threats from China and Russia will heighten between 2027-2035, and therefore, “decisions need to be made now in order for the nation to be prepared.”
The analysis comes against the backdrop of the US’ growing tensions with China over Taiwan, as well as with Russia over its war against Ukraine.
A senior official involved in the making of the report did not confirm if the panel’s intelligence briefings showed any proof of Chinese and Russian nuclear weapons cooperation.
However, they added, on condition of anonymity, that Washington worries that “there may be ultimate coordination between them in some way,” which led to “to this two-war construct” conclusion.
Increased Defence Spending
The latest findings would upend the US’ current national security strategy and require hugely increased defence spending with uncertain congressional support.
Addressing this challenge, Madelyn Creedon, a former deputy head of the agency that oversees US nuclear weapons, and the vice chair, Jon Kyl, a retired Republican senator, said in the report’s preface: “We do recognize budget realities, but we also believe the nation must make these investments.”
In a briefing held to release the report, Kyl added that the President and Congress must “take the case to the American people” that higher defence spending is a small price to pay “to hopefully preclude” a possible nuclear war involving the three major powers.
Responding to the report’s suggestion, the Arms Control Association advocacy group said that the arsenal’s makeup “still exceeds what is necessary to hold a sufficient number of adversary targets at risk so as to deter enemy nuclear attack.”