The world is heading toward a full-scale catastrophe; Is the United States preparing for a nuclear war?

According to an NBC News report, the review of this doctrine is being led by Elbridge Colby, the head of policy at the Department of Defense, who is preparing a document that significantly departs from the U.S. nuclear doctrine established over decades.

The new draft, according to five sources familiar with the plans, places a strong emphasis on the possible use of short-range tactical nuclear weapons in the event of a regional conflict with China or Russia. These weapons are designed for battlefield use, rather than the traditional long-range strategic arsenal that has served as the foundation of deterrence since the Cold War era. The main goal of the new strategy, if a conflict were to occur, would be to prevent escalation and stop either of the two powers — China or Russia — from taking advantage of a moment when U.S. attention is focused elsewhere.

One of the biggest concerns among U.S. strategists is a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Beijing considers the island part of its territory, while Taipei continues to strengthen its defensive capabilities. On Wednesday, Taiwan launched its annual military exercises. The goal is to test the armed forces’ ability to maintain defensive operations around the clock. Part of the drills also includes preparing civilians for internet outages and other disruptions.

At the same time, concerns over nuclear escalation remain high regarding Russia and the war in Ukraine. In May, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that he had allowed Russia to deploy some tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. In December last year, Moscow announced that Belarus had the Oreshnik missile system, which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. In 2024, Russia updated its nuclear doctrine and formally extended its nuclear umbrella to Belarus. Vladimir Putin emphasized that Moscow retains control over the nuclear arsenal deployed in Belarus, but said it could allow its ally to designate targets in the event of a conflict, according to Ekspres.

All of these circumstances — the growing Chinese pressure on Taiwan, Russia’s nuclear positioning in Belarus, and the increasingly close cooperation between Moscow and Beijing — appear to have prompted Washington to thoroughly reassess its own nuclear strategy.

The new approach, focused on short-range tactical weapons, is intended to provide the United States with a more flexible response option in regional conflicts while avoiding a catastrophic escalation into a global nuclear war.