What Asia thinks (but won’t say) about Trump ditching nuclear treaty with Russia
- US president’s intention to withdraw from the INF Treaty with Russia dents perceptions of American reliability.
- It also raises the prospect of an arms race in China’s backyard
Asian nations have for the most part stayed silent over a threat by the United States to withdraw from a disarmament treaty with Russia that has kept nuclear proliferation in check for the past three decades.
Naoko Aoki, Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at The Rand Corporation, said the credibility of the US rested on two pillars: its “capability and resolve”.
“Questions that arise among allies are not so much about US military capability but about US commitment. Not informing allies about major decisions does not help [reassure them],” she said.
And if allies like Japan and South Korea began to doubt US commitment to its treaties, they might also start to question their relationships with Washington.
“If they become convinced that America’s commitment to defend them is no longer credible, they may reassess their alliance,” said Sam Roggeveen, director of the International Security Programme at the Lowy Institute in Sydney.