Obama Ready to Cut Nukes Again

President Obama still thinks we could stand to get rid of a bunch of our nukes, and has promised a renewed effort to cut American and Russian nuclear arsenals following 2010's START treaty. "We can already say with confidence that we have more nuclear weapons than we need," the president said during a speech in Seoul, noting that he and Vladimir Putin will discuss nuclear cuts when they meet in May. "I firmly believe that we can ensure the security of the United States and our allies, maintain a strong deterrent against any threat, and still pursue further reductions in our nuclear arsenal."

But congressional Republicans could prove a major obstacle to any further nuclear reduction, Reuters notes; they already say Obama has been too slow to fulfill a vow to update the US strategic arsenal. The president also addressed concerns over a nuclear Iran and North Korea, warning Pyongyang of a tough international response against any "provocations." He told Iran that "time is short" for diplomacy. "Iran's leaders must understand that there is no escaping the choice before it." (More President Obama stories.)