Is NATO Going Nuclear? 

     Nine countries have nuclear weapons, while Russia and the United States control nearly 90 percent of the world's approximately 12,000 warheads.

WORLD magazine

      It is estimated that Russia holds some 5,580 warheads, the U.S. 5,225, and China has around 600. France, the U.K., India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea also have nuclear stockpiles. 

Views: Let's see...there is this...and that...divided by 50 ... Russia could drop 110 nukes on each of our 50 states, with some left over.

     The U.S. extends security guarantees to NATO members that don't possess nuclear weapons (and France and the U.K. who do), and to Japan, Australia and South Korea. 

     Security guarantees form the basis of a "nuclear umbrella," a pledge to retaliate if any country under the umbrella is attacked with nuclear weapons.

     As Views writes today, President Trump has convinced NATO members to boost their defense spending. Some Europeans are skeptical of U.S. loyalty. 

     A member of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies says, "This world order and peace is underpinned by American nuclear weapons. We need to ensure that our European and Asian allies are comfortable with our word...that we would intervene if they were attacked."

              Jimmy