US wants low-yield nukes to convince Russia to respect pacts: Mattis

US wants low-yield nukes to convince Russia to respect pacts: Mattis

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis says Washington's plan to deploy new low-yield nuclear weapons is aimed at convincing Russia to respect the existing agreements on limiting the weapons.

Speaking at the Congress Armed Services Committee, he said Moscow is violating the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty and Washington wants to pressure it to get back in line.APP