UN Secretary General: "Humanity is one misjudgment away from nuclear annihilation"

At the opening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference in New York, Guterres warned that the world is facing a "nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War."

The United States, Great Britain and France said in a joint statement that "it is impossible to win a nuclear war and such a war must never be fought"

news agencies

02/08/2022

Tuesday, August 2, 2022, 1:17 p.m. Updated: 1:23 p.m.

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On video: the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (photographed and donated by Genjiro Kawasaki, courtesy: Hiroshima Peace Museum)

One incident of misunderstanding could ignite nuclear destruction, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned yesterday (Monday), while the United States, Britain and France are calling on Russia to stop its "dangerous nuclear rhetoric."

At the opening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) conference in New York, Guterres warned that the world is facing a "nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War".

Against the background of the war in Ukraine and the tensions in Taiwan, as well as in the Middle East with Iran, Guterres said that he fears that a crisis with "nuclear characteristics" will develop.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (Photo: Reuters)

Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev sign a nuclear arms control agreement, 1987 (Photo: Reuters)

"Humanity today is one misunderstanding, one misjudgment, away from nuclear annihilation," Guterres said at the 10th conference of the NPT, which entered into force in 1970 to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

"We have been very lucky so far. But luck is not a strategy or a defense against geopolitical tensions that will develop into a nuclear crisis," he added.

According to him, "Humanity must take a new course towards a world free of nuclear weapons."

Guterres also said that "the destruction of nuclear weapons is the only guarantee that they will never be used."

Guterres is expected to visit Hiroshima on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the Japanese city on August 6, 1945. "There are now approximately 13,000 nuclear weapons in stockpiles around the world. All this at a time when the proliferation of nuclear weapons is increasing and defenses against escalation are weakening," he added. .

The United States, Great Britain and France said in a joint statement that "a nuclear war cannot be won and such a war must never be fought. We call on Russia to stop its dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric," the statement said.

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On video: the Ben-Putin summit in Geneva and statements by each of the leaders separately (Photo: Reuters)

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken referred to North Korea and condemned it for "continuing to expand its illegal nuclear program", and Iran "which continues on a path of nuclear escalation".

He also called on Russia and China to start nuclear arms control talks.

US President Joe Biden reiterated that his administration is ready to "negotiate" a replacement treaty because the current treaty is set to expire in 2026.

The NPT, which is reviewed every five years by its 191 signatories, is supposed to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, promote complete disarmament and increase cooperation regarding the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

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