America’s nuclear weapons neglect invites a new age of peril
While Washington preached restraint, Russia and China rebuilt their arsenals and rewrote the balance of power
By Tory Bruno - Sunday, October 26, 2025
A version of this story appeared in the daily Threat Status newsletter from The Washington Times. Click here to receive Threat Status delivered directly to your inbox each weekday.
OPINION:
Over the span of decades, America established a stable environment that controlled the types, quantities and deterrent role of nuclear weapons. Its hallmarks were frequent and open dialogue, comprehensive agreements and a mutual interest in nonproliferation. This was accomplished thoughtfully and consistently, using diplomacy, alliances, direct military-to-military engagement and a carefully crafted deployment of real capabilities that represented a credible but balanced show of strength. The benefits of this are impossible to understate. An existential threat to civilization was held at bay, the proliferation of nuclear states was significantly curtailed, and an unprecedented cessation of great power conflict was begun.
Throughout the modern era, great power warfare has existed within nearly every decade, causing the average annual death of 1.5% to 2% of the total human population. This culminated in World War II, when the nuclear age appeared and abruptly ended this historically unsolvable problem, now saving more than 120 million lives every year.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/oct/26/americas-nuclear-weapons-neglect-invites-new-age-peril/
