Pentagon says Russian nuclear arsenal poses difficulties for US

WASHINGTON DC (RIA Novosti): Russia’s nuclear arsenal poses serious challenges for the United States now and in the future, said Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin.
” Russia ‘s nuclear arsenal poses serious challenges now and in the future,” Austin said at a hearing in the US House of Representatives. The hearing is devoted to discussing the administration’s 2023 defense budget request.
“Our nuclear triad remains the main pillar of national defense. Maint-aining strategic stability in the world, especially in light of Russia’s significant nuclear capabilities and the expansion of China ‘s nu-clear capabilities, requires the United States to maintain a safe and effective nuclear capability,” Austin said. According to the head of the US defense department, Russia and China present the greatest security difficulties for the US today, the “threat”, according to him, also comes from the DPRK, Iran and terrorist groups.
U.S. administration officials have stressed in dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his entourage the importance of ensuring that weapons and military equipment transferred to Kyiv by the West do not fall into the wrong hands, said Austin.
“Accountability is an important issue for all of us. As you know, we don’t have people “on the ground” right now, so this complicates [control over the fate of weapons transferred to Kyiv],” the US Secretary of Defense said, speaking at a hearing in the committee on US House of Representatives appropriations.
“When I met with President Zelensky and [Ukrainian] Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov in Kyiv about two weeks ago, I stressed the importance of accountability, and his (Ukrainian leader – TASS note) chief of the General Staff also took part in that meeting, as well as the importance of guaranteeing that they are monitoring the distribution of our sensitive [military] equipment that is being deployed [in Ukraine],” Austin said.
According to the information he provided, the Ukrainian authorities claim that they do not lose sight of this issue. “They assured me that they were focusing on this. I again raised this topic [in negotiations] with the Minister of Defense [Reznikov], <…> when I met him in Germany, and also [in a telephone conversation] yesterday (this conversation took place on May 9 – approx. TASS),” Austin said.
According to the minister, he and the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, touch on the distribution of American military equipment in all consultations with Ukrainian officials. “And we talk to them weekly,” Austin said.
“We will continue to emphasize this very, very important point,” the US Defense Secretary added.
In June 2020, the foundations of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence were approved by decree of the President of Russia.
This document defines the principles of nuclear deterrence, as well as the conditions for the transition of the Russian Federation to the use of nuclear weapons.