Watch: Donald Trump’s Tweet on Nuclear Weapons Raises Questions

Russian President Vladmir Putin has also spoken about the need to enhance Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

Donald Trump. (Photo: AP)

US President-elect Donald Trump called for an expansion of the United States' nuclear capabilities on Thursday, in a tweet that alarmed nonproliferation experts who said that a boost to the US arsenal could fuel global tensions.

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When asked about the tweet, Trump spokesperson Jason Miller said Trump was:

referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation and the critical need to prevent it - particularly to and among terrorist organisations and unstable and rogue regimes.

Trump, who takes office on 20 January also has "emphasised the need to improve and modernise our deterrent capability as a vital way to pursue peace through strength," Miller said.

The spokesperson told Reuters that Trump was not advocating the use of nuclear weapons, and said that the President-elect's comments were not meant to be read as a new policy proposal.

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(With inputs from NBC News and Reuters)