Trump has said he wants denuclearization along with Russia and China, saying on Thursday "it would be great if everybody would get rid of their nuclear weapons."
But Europe has been shaken by the Trump administration's approach to security, with countries openly questioning the future of the U.S.-dominated North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that they had seen as their main protection for decades.
Not only has Trump become much closer to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and shown an apparent readiness for concessions to end the Ukraine war that European countries oppose, but his administration has also challenged them to increase their defense spending and appeared ready to reduce U.S. troop numbers in Europe. Then there have been his threats against Panama and his view that the United States should take over Greenland—if not make Canada the 51st state, too.
U.S. allies such as Japan in South Korea in Asia and also those in the Middle East are watching closely and questioning how far they can count on American power to defend them.
"You have discussion already in Europe and interest in nuclear options in countries like South Korea. I think most of them would hedge their bets and watch," said Lukasz Kulesa, director of Proliferation and Nuclear Policy at Britain's Royal United Services Institute think tank.
