Vladimir Mukhin wrote in "Nezavisimaya Gazeta":
The article states that the greatest strategic enemy of America, according to President Joe Biden's new team, will be Russia. This was announced by the candidates for the positions of Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin. Based on their words, the United States intends to double its activity in regions of geopolitical importance to Russia, including within the Middle East and the post-Soviet space.
While the Pentagon is reducing its military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is strengthening it in Syria and Eastern Europe. Austin called for increased military assistance to NATO forces in Europe, stating, "It is very important to deter Russia, and we, along with our allies, support the confidence of conventional and nuclear forces by providing the most effective deterrence against Russian aggression."
Austin did not mention "nuclear powers" by chance. In addition to the nuclear military capabilities of the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, NATO forces possess a significant number of tactical nuclear weapons that the Pentagon has deployed in Europe. It is likely that they would not mind deploying them in the eastern part of the continent, namely in the Baltic states and Poland.
In this context, military expert Colonel Vladimir Popov (retired) told "Nezavisimaya Gazeta": "The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons and their quantity are not covered by current international treaties. If the Biden administration decides to do so, it will provoke a new round of the arms race. In response to NATO's new threats, Russia could deploy medium- and shorter-range ground-launched missiles in the west of the country capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Thus, such actions could only result in the doubling of international tensions."
