Donald Trump wants to build up U.S. nuclear arsenal

U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to build up the U.S. nuclear arsenal toensure it is at the "top of the pack," saying the United Stateshas fallen behind in its atomic weapons capacity.

In an interview with Reuters, Trump also said China could solvethe national security challenge posed by North Korea "veryeasily if they want to," ratcheting up pressure on Beijing toexert more influence to rein in Pyongyang's increasingly bellicose actions.

In his first comments about the U.S. nuclear arsenal sincetaking office on Jan. 20, Trump said the U.S.has"fallen behind on nuclear weapon capacity."

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

The treaty permits both countries to have no more than 800deployed and non-deployed land-based intercontinental andsubmarine-launched ballistic missile launchers and heavy bombersequipped to carry nuclear weapons, and contains equal limits onother nuclear weapons.

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

'One-sided deal'

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

"Just another bad deal that the country made, whether it'sSTART, whether it's the Iran deal. We're going to startmaking good deals," he said.

The U.S. is in the midst of a $1-trillion, 30-yearmodernization of its aging ballistic-missile submarines, bombersand land-based missiles, a price tag that most experts say thecountry cannot afford.

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Trump complained that Russia's reported deployment of aground-based cruise missileis in violation of a 1987 treatythat bans land-based American and Russian intermediate-rangemissiles.

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

Asked if he would raise the issue with Putin, Trump said hewould do so "if and when we meet." He said he had no meetingsscheduled 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 defence system forU.S. allies Japan and South Korea was among many optionsavailable.

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