"On the surface of it, it does seem to run counter to the stated goals of every American leader since the end of the Cold War. That said, American military and political leaders also have called for the upgrading and replacement of old nukes in the argument that they are safer than older nuclear weapons," said Munter in an interview with VOA's International Edition on December 27, 2016.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump fired off a tweet on December 22, 2016 saying "The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes", raising concerns of a potential arms race.

Munter added that "we don't know whether these statements will actually lead to actual policies, but it's something that a lot of people are concerned about."

Listen to the interview here.