Major Nuclear-Weapons Challenges for the New US Administration

Following the re-election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States, the new Republican administration is expected to take a decisive approach in the international sphere to, among other things, achieve a more advantageous economic and security position for the country under the banner of America First. As part of the stated aim of achieving peace through strength, the new President also intends to play a strong role as a peacemaker in dealing with major security crises where, among other things, there is a risk of the use or proliferation of nuclear weapons.

This reflection therefore focuses on familiarising the reader with the Trump administration’s main nuclear-weapons challenges in the three crisis regions in which it has been heavily engaged in some way during its first term (2017–2021). These are Europe, the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East. Here the anticipated responses of the administration to these challenges are based on the experience of the security policy of the first Trump presidency. The assessment also takes into account possible modifications of the policy due to changes in geopolitical developments. The reflection was written shortly after Trump’s inauguration on 20 January 2025, so its text is in some cases rather speculative.

Find the complete policy paper attached.