Democratic Senator Ed Markey (Mass.) on Monday called on the Trump administration to discuss denuclearization with Russia, arguing that it is “our only real path to avoid nuclear devastation.”
Citing the recent film “A House of Dynamite”, which details the government’s response to an imminent nuclear attack, Markey argues that “long-range missile defense will not protect us”. msnbc op-ed,
“The United States has spent hundreds of billions of dollars pursuing long-range missile defense systems. None have provided credible protection,” he said. “Inflated contracts continue to flow, well-connected lobbyists profit and the public remains hopeful.
“But the underlying logic is flawed: Long-range defenses don’t work, and they make it harder to mitigate the nuclear threats we face.”
The Hill has contacted the White House for comment on Markey’s op-ed.
In February 2026, the new strategic arms reduction treaty between the US and Russia, commonly abbreviated as New START, will expire. This treaty, which came into effect in 2011, put limits on Both countries have stockpiles of intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons and other offensive weapons.
Earlier this month, Markey and 20 other members of Congress sent a letter Secretary of State Marco Rubio asked the Trump administration to “actively engage” with Russia on a new arms-reduction treaty.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that he was willing to abide by the treaty’s limits until February 2027 if the US did the same. President Trump told reporters Putin’s proposal earlier this month “seems like a good idea to me.”
The lawmakers – 20 Democrats and one Republican, libertarian-leaning Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) – said in their letter to Rubio that while the US pursuing an informal one-year extension “is the strongest interim approach,” it should also negotiate a New START replacement with Russia.
As of March, the US and Russia held about 87 percent of the world’s total nuclear weapons inventory and 83 percent of the weapons available for military use. Federation of American Scientists,
The US has more than 5,100 weapons, of which 3,700 are in reserve or deployed. Meanwhile, Russia has more than 5,400 weapons, of which more than 4,300 are in reserve or deployed, the organization said.
The Associated Press contributed.
