I will build up America's nuclear arsenal to keep us 'top of the pack' vows Trump as he tells China to solve problem of North Korea

  • Trump uses interview with Reuters to bluntly warn rest of the world that American will not surrender nuclear supremacy
  • He trashed a deal which would guarantee parity with Russia on  strategic warhead numbers as 'one-sided'
  • Also warned that Russia was breaching another nuclear arms treaty 
  • $1 trillion upgrade program to the nuclear triad - air, land, and sea-launched atomic weapons - is under way
  • Trump's intervention suggests it may be accelerated 

By Reuters

Published: | Updated:

President Donald Trump said on Thursday he wants to build up the U.S. nuclear arsenal to ensure it is at the 'top of the pack,' saying the United States has fallen behind in its atomic weapons capacity.

In a Reuters interview, Trump also said China could solve the national security challenge posed by North Korea 'very easily if they want to,' ratcheting up pressure on Beijing to exert more influence to rein in Pyongyang's increasingly bellicose actions.

In his first comments about the U.S. nuclear arsenal since taking office on January 20, Trump said the United States has 'fallen behind on nuclear weapon capacity.'

'I am the first one that would like to see everybody - nobody have nukes, but we're never going to fall behind any country even if it´s a friendly country, we're never going to fall behind on nuclear power.

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Vow: 'It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we´re going to be at the top of the pack,' Trump said

Vow: 'It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we´re going to be at the top of the pack,' Trump said

Staying on top: The U.S. will not be bettered in nuclear might Trump said. The tip of the spearhead of the air-launched nuclear power available to the president is the B-2 Spirit bomber

Staying on top: The U.S. will not be bettered in nuclear might Trump said. The tip of the spearhead of the air-launched nuclear power available to the president is the B-2 Spirit bomber

New cold war: Trump called a deal to have nuclear parity with Russia 'one-sided', which would be a challenge to Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin, who marked Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow on Thursday

New cold war: Trump called a deal to have nuclear parity with Russia 'one-sided', which would be a challenge to Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin, who marked Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow on Thursday

'It would be wonderful, a dream would be that no country would have nukes, but if countries are going to have nukes, we´re going to be at the top of the pack,' Trump said.

The new strategic arms limitation treaty, known as New START, between the U.S. and Russia requires that by February 5, 2018, both countries must limit their arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons to equal levels for 10 years.

The treaty permits both countries to have no more than 800 deployed and non-deployed land-based intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missile launchers and heavy bombers equipped to carry nuclear weapons, and contains equal limits on other nuclear weapons.

Analysts have questioned whether Trump wants to abrogate New START or would begin deploying other warheads.

In the interview, Trump called New START 'a one-sided deal.

'Just another bad deal that the country made, whether it's START, whether it's the Iran deal ... We're going to start making good deals,' he said.

The United States is in the midst of a $1 trillion, 30-year modernization of its aging ballistic missile submarines, bombers and land-based missiles, a price tag that most experts say the country cannot afford.

Kim Jong Nam was the half brother of leader Kim Jong Un (pictured). Long estranged from North Korea's leadership, Kim Jong Nam had lived outside the country for years

Challenge to the neighbors: Trump pointed at China as the power which should solve the ongoing crisis of its tiny dictatorship next door, Kim Jong-Un's North Korea

How do you solve a problem like Korea? The Hermit Kingdom has tested the Trump administration with a missile launch held during the Japanese prime minister's U.S. visit

How do you solve a problem like Korea? The Hermit Kingdom has tested the Trump administration with a missile launch held during the Japanese prime minister's U.S. visit

Trump also complained that the Russian deployment of a ground-based cruise missile is in violation of a 1987 treaty that bans land-based American and Russian intermediate-range missiles.

'To me it's a big deal,' Trump said.

Asked if he would raise the issue with Putin, Trump said he would do so 'if and when we meet.' He said he had no meetings scheduled as of yet with Putin.

Speaking from behind his desk in the Oval Office, Trump declared that 'we're very angry' at North Korea's ballistic missile tests and said accelerating a missile defense system for U.S. allies Japan and South Korea was among many options available.

'There's talks of a lot more than that,' Trump said, when asked about the missile defense system. 'We'll see what happens. But it's a very dangerous situation, and China can end it very quickly in my opinion.'

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