Five nuclear powers pledge to prevent nuclear war and spread of atomic weapons

Asia-Pacific, Europe, News, US January 4, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

The five global nuclear powers pledged to prevent the proliferation of atomic weapons and avoid nuclear war in a joint statement ahead of reviewing an important nuclear treaty.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) five permanent members, the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia, issued a joint statement on January 3, stating avoiding wars between nuclear-weapon states is their primary responsibility. The five nuclear-weapon states also agreed to reduce strategic risks and work with other nations to create a secure atmosphere.

The joint statement stated that the five nuclear-weapon states remain committed to “Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) obligations, including our Article VI obligation to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.”

The statement was issued after a scheduled review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was postponed until later this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) non-profit organization Ernest Moniz and Sam Nunn, it was the first time, the five nuclear powers have jointly recognized that “nuclear wars cannot be won and can never be fought.”

“We affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. As nuclear use would have far-reaching consequences, we also affirm that nuclear weapons—for as long as they continue to exist—should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war. We believe strongly that the further spread of such weapons must be prevented.” the statement read.

The five nations said that they remain committed to a key clause in the treaty, which calls on all countries to work for full disarmament of weapons of mass destruction in the future.

The five permanent members of the UNSC also stated that they intend to maintain and further strengthen national measures “to prevent unauthorized or unintended use of nuclear weapons.” The nuclear-weapon states also reiterated the validity of previous statements “on de-targeting, reaffirming that none of our nuclear weapons are targeted at each other or at any other State.”

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which was signed in 1968, legalized the nuclear arsenals of the U.S., UK, Russia, China, and France, and confirmed their status as nuclear-weapon states. The treaty has been signed by more than 190 countries, however, four nuclear-weapon states, including India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea are out of the treaty.

According to the Arms Control Association, Russia is believed to have the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear warheads, approximately 6,255, followed by the United States, which has 5,550 nuclear warheads. China, France, and the UK have 350, 290, and 225 nuclear warheads respectively. While other non-members of the Nonproliferation Treaty, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea have 165, 156, 90, and 40-50 nuclear weapons, according to Arms Control Association report.