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US not seeking to start new arms race or boost its nuclear arsenal — diplomat

The building more weapons is not the answer, Bonnie Jenkins said

WASHINGTON, October 28. /TASS/. The incumbent US administration of US President Joe Biden is not seeking to begin an arms race with Russia and China and has no plans to boost the US nuclear arsenal, a senior US diplomat said.

"I would say that building more weapons is not the answer," US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Bonnie Jenkins told a seminar at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Jenkins said Washington and Moscow were through an arms race in the past.

"I would say that we’ve had an arms race. And we are now in a position where we spend billions and billions of dollars to build weapons and then billions and billions of dollars to get rid of them. I don’t think that going back into that scenario is going to answer any questions," she continued.

In her opinion, Washington should be aware and prepared to deal with situations on the international arena, strengthening its deterrence.

Calls by some US experts to increase US nuclear arsenal are understandable from the point of view of the current "difficult times," Jenkins continued.

"But before we do something like that, spending money that I’m not sure we have, <…> we need to be much more thoughtful," the US diplomat added.