International security

Breedlove: U.S. and Russia Need Better Communications On Tactical Nukes

The U.S. needs to “establish quality communications with the Russians” to back Moscow away from implementing tactical nuclear weapons in times of crisis, the recently retired NATO commander said.

Speaking Wednesday at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C., retired Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove said in answer to a question from the audience, “It may be frustrated and frustrating at the beginning . . . but we need to move out.”

He cited the agreements between the United States and Russia over incidents at sea, on the land and in the air as possible precedents in starting this dialogue and reducing the chances of miscalculation leading to crisis. “It has worked,” and similar arrangements “would be good to have” between Russia and NATO.