NEW YORK, November 19. /TASS/. The US does not intend to expand its nuclear capabilities in any way, but it does plan to modernize them, US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.

"I don't think we want to expand <…> nuclear capabilities. However, we do want modern and modernization is, I think, essential," he said in an interview with Bloomberg.

The US envoy confirmed that Washington remains ready to provide Europe with a "nuclear umbrella," but emphasized that it was important "to make sure we don't have proliferation and an escalation of nuclear threats."

On September 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at a Security Council meeting that Moscow is ready to uphold the key quantitative restrictions of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) for one year after its expiration. The document will expire on February 5, 2026. However, as the Russian leader emphasized, this measure is only viable if Washington acts similarly. In response to a TASS question on October 5, US leader Donald Trump called Putin's proposal a good idea.