1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,239 Speaker 1: Donald Trump is playing the nuke card. The US president 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: has ordered his Department of Defense slash Water immediately begin 3 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: nuclear weapons testing, something that the US hasn't done since 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: the nineties. Foreign policy analyst Jeffrey Millet is with me now. 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: Good morning, Jeffrey, Good morning, Francesca. 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: He said, this is a warning shot to his enemies. 7 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Who are we talking about here, China, Russia. 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 2: Or both of them? I think, Francesca, and you know, 9 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 2: you can say, well, this is the typical saber rattling 10 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 2: of the Trump presidency, and this is the world that 11 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: we live in. But I think we need to be aware, heir, 12 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 2: of the power of a nuclear conflict. I think we've 13 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 2: largely forgotten or underappreciated the nuclear dimension in these constant 14 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 2: geopolitical tensions. But you've got to remember that the US 15 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 2: and Russia both still have over five thousand nuclear warheads outs, 16 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 2: well down from the peaks of the Cold War. But 17 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 2: if we suddenly see them back nuclear testing, that would 18 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 2: be the first time since the mid nineteen nineties that 19 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 2: we've seen China, Russia in the United States testing nuclear weapons, 20 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: and that could be well on the cards. So I 21 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: think we really need to dive back the tensions here, 22 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 2: because this is more than just a typical Trump outburst 23 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: on social media, and nuclear weapons can have real consequences 24 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 2: and we certainly have seen that in history. 25 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: So you think that there is a possibility he will 26 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: actually begin nuclear tests again. 27 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 2: Yes, So the escalation is in play, isn't it. And 28 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 2: we've seen this in so many dimensions now over the 29 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: past few years. I mean, the world is a much 30 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 2: scarier place now than it was. And we've seen the 31 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 2: nuclear dimension come into play in the war in Ukraine, 32 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 2: for example, that the superregion nuclear partner has come under 33 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 2: attack numerous times in the war between Russia, Russia and Ukraine. 34 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: We saw that war between India and Pakistan earlier in 35 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 2: the year. Two nuclear powers. They conducted a nuclear test 36 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 2: back in nineteen ninety eight, but since then it's only 37 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: been North Korea that has tested nuclear weapons. We've got 38 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 2: a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty that was agreed in 39 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 2: the mid nineties, but China, Russia in the United States 40 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 2: have not ratified that. Well, Russia did ratify it and 41 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 2: then pulled out a couple of years ago. The United 42 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: States and China have never ratified that treaty. So we 43 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: need to, I think, step back from the brink here. 44 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 2: And that's the game that Donald Trump is playing constantly, 45 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: This game of brinksmanship, when you go right to the 46 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: brink of war, then you pull back in declear victory. 47 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 2: It is, I think, a scary way to do politics, 48 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 2: a scary way to do geopolitics. It is Trump's game. 49 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: We've seen that very successful meeting over between Donald Trump 50 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: and Gjingping that has come out with a deal. I 51 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 2: mean that's a good news story. But you wonder what 52 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 2: will come next week or next month with Donald Trump. 53 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: I mean, nothing is really ever set in stone, and 54 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: you never know how long it's going to be before 55 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 2: he changes his mind. 56 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:53,079 Speaker 1: Jeffrey Miller, thank you so much. Always appreciate your thoughts. 57 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 58 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or 59 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.