Humanity is “one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation”warned the UN secretary-general on Monday, amid fears of an escalation not seen since the Cold War, exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We have been extraordinarily lucky so far. But luck is not a strategy or a shield to prevent geopolitical tensions degenerate into nuclear conflict”, said Antonio Guterres at the opening of the 10th Conference of the 191 signatory countries of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement (NPT).
From the Middle East to the Korean Peninsula, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, “today, humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation”, he warned before urging that the world “get rid of its nuclear weapons” since it is the “only guarantee that they will never be used”.
On the eve of the anniversary of the United States launching nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Guterres recalled that humanity is “forgetting the lessons of those terrifying fires.” The Japanese Prime Minister, Kishida Fumio, traveled to New York to participate in this important event.
With “13,000 nuclear weapons” in the arsenals, so far the world has avoided “the suicidal mistake of a nuclear conflict” thanks to a “combination of commitment, judgment and luck”, but that can change, Guterres warned at the opening of this conference that will last until on August 26 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
“A nuclear war cannot be won”
Postponed on several occasions due to the covid-19 pandemic since March 2020, the president of the conference, the Argentine Gustavo Zlauvinen, recalled that if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that “apparently low probability events can and do occur with little or no warning but with catastrophic consequences that affect the world”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin assured on Monday that “there can be no winners” in a nuclear war and “it should never be triggered”, before assuring that Russia remains faithful to the “letter and spirit” of the treaty.
In January, the leading countries of the NPT – the United States, China, France, Russia and Great Britain – recalled this same warning, but on Monday only the United States, Great Britain and France reiterated their commitment in a joint statement.
And the three nuclear powers also singled out Russia, a country they asked to respect their nuclear commitments.
“Following Russia’s unprovoked and illegal aggression against Ukraine, we urge Russia to cease its nuclear rhetoric and its irresponsible and dangerous attitude,” they added.
The head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, in addition to Russia, was concerned about the arms race in North Korea, which is preparing “its seventh nuclear test”, as well as Iran, which is still on the path of “nuclear escalation”, and accused him of not “having the will or not wanting to accept an agreement” to re-sign the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which the former president of the United States, Donald Trump, unilaterally withdrew.
“Returning to the agreement is the best result for the United States, for Iran and for the world“, said
President Joe Biden also urged Russia and China to start negotiations on nuclear arms control and reiterated that his administration is ready to “quickly negotiate” a replacement for New START, the treaty that limits intercontinental nuclear forces in the United States. and Russia, which expires in 2026.
Beatrice Fihn, director of the non-governmental organization the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), warned in front of the UN that the world is experiencing a “rapid increase in nuclear risks”.
“There are a number of very alarming and dangerous developments that undermine confidence in the NPT as a tool to enhance global security.”
“Nuclear weapons are going in the wrong direction,” he warned.
The NPT, which entered into force in 1970 to prevent the spread of nuclear weaponsand in particular Article VIII:3, provides for a review of the operation of the Treaty every five years.
During the last review conference in 2015, the parties failed to agree on substantive issues.
This meeting is aopportunity to strengthen this treaty and adapt it to today’s world”, said Guterres, who hopes to adopt “new commitments” to reduce the arsenal. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
