At the start of the tenth review conference of the UN Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of a nuclear conflict. In a nuclear war there can be “no winners” and such a war must “never be unleashed”. At the same time, the Kremlin chief assured that his country would not carry out a nuclear first strike.
Putin assured that Russia would remain true to “the letter and the spirit” of the 1970 treaty. The United States, Britain and France, meanwhile, in a joint statement accused Russia of “irresponsible and dangerous” rhetoric about nuclear weapons. Past statements by Putin that military aid could have unprecedented consequences for Ukraine are “dangerous nuclear saber rattling,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. The statements are contrary to international agreements. “There is no place in our world for nuclear deterrence based on violence and intimidation or blackmail. We must stand together to reject this.”
Russian nuclear forces on alert
Shortly after the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Putin, according to Russian sources, gave the order to arm the country’s nuclear forces. Since then, Putin has also threatened to respond “with lightning speed” in the event of a direct Western military intervention in the Ukraine conflict. In May, Russian journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov warned that the Kremlin’s “propaganda fighters” were trying to make the use of nuclear weapons more acceptable to the Russian public.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty states that only the US, Russia, China, France and the UK may possess nuclear weapons. The other four suspected nuclear powers, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea, have not joined or have withdrawn from the treaty. The purpose of the treaty is to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, promote nuclear disarmament and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The extent to which the objectives of the Non-Proliferation Treaty have been achieved is evaluated every five years.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
