2 August (UPI) The head of the UN warned that "humanity is one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear destruction," a threat that has not been present since the height of the Cold War.The warning was delivered by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday at a summit on the Non-Proliferation Treaty, a historic 1970 agreement under which 191 states have committed to stop the spread of atomic weapons.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is now being reviewed at the 10th Review Conference of the Parties through August 26.
In his speech, Guterres stated that the world now more than ever needs this pact, noting the Middle East tensions, North Korea's development of its nuclear arsenal, and Russia's invasion of the Ukraine.
"After the Cold War ended, the clouds separated, but now they are collecting once more. So far, we have been incredibly fortunate. But chance is not a tactic, "added he. "Neither is it a defense against the escalation of geopolitical tensions into nuclear war."
According to him, the meeting is taking place as risks of proliferation are rising, measures to prevent an escalation are deteriorating, and crises "with nuclear overtones" are brewing.
This Review Conference is crucial because of that, he stated. It's a chance to work out the details of the precautions that will assist prevent a specific catastrophe.Since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, nuclear war anxieties have increased. Russia has frequently warned that it will use nuclear weapons to retaliate against NATO allies who help it invade, and it has converted Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility into a military camp because it knows an attack on it might have disastrous consequences.
In his speech at the conference, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken charged Moscow with engaging in "reckless, deadly nuclear saber-rattling" and elevating the concept of a human shield "to an entirely other and awful level."
Blinken noted that their attendance at this meeting is "directly related" to Russia's conflict in Ukraine.
The pledges it gave to Ukraine in 1994, which included renunciating its sovereignty and independence in exchange for giving up the nuclear weapons it inherited when the Soviet Union fell apart, are also violated by its actions, he added.
"What message does this give to any nation in the globe that might believe it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against aggression and maintain its independence and sovereignty? The absolute worst message, "said he.
One of the treaty's signatories, Russia, denied the allegations, saying in a tweet that it took control of the Zaporizhzhia plant to defend it from "nationalist groups & international mercenaries."
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, also wrote a letter of greetings to the gathering, stressing that Moscow "always abides by the word and spirit of the Treaty."
In his letter, Putin said: "We stand for equal and indivisible security for all members of the global community. We think that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."
[zombify_post]
0 Comments