New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen says the Trump administration must carefully consider how it would prevent an arms race in the absence of a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, and whether that includes negotiating a new treaty with China.
Shaheen, a Democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, said Friday if the United States is to withdraw, "there must be a plan in place to prevent proliferation."
The Trump administration said it shouldn't be constrained by a deal Moscow is violating with "impunity" by deploying banned missiles. That reflects the administration's view that the treaty was an unacceptable obstacle to more forcefully confronting not only Russia, but also China.
China's military has grown mightily; the treaty has prevented the U.S. from deploying weapons to counter those being developed in Beijing.
