The danger of nuclear specter

In a report published on June 17, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said the world is facing increasing risks from nuclear weapons, as countries with nuclear weapons accelerate the modernization of their arsenals and international tensions escalate.

The US Air Force Test Squadron loads a nuclear-capable B61-12 bomb onto a B-2 Spirit bomber. Photo: US AIRFORCE

Spending skyrocketed

Diplomatic efforts to control nuclear weapons are facing major obstacles, due to international tensions surrounding the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, SIPRI said. “We have not seen nuclear weapons play such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War,” said Wilfred Wan, director of the SIPRI Weapons of Mass Destruction Research Programme.

According to the SIPRI report, as of January 2023, the world had about 12,121 nuclear warheads, with about 9,585 in military stockpiles ready for use if needed. Of these, about 2,100 were placed in a state of “high operational readiness” for ballistic missiles. SIPRI Director Dan Smith expressed deep concern about the increase in the number of nuclear warheads, warning that this worrying trend could accelerate in the coming years.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) report released on June 17 also said that the world's nine nuclear-weapon states spent a total of $91 billion on their nuclear arsenals in 2023, up $10.8 billion from a year earlier. The United States accounted for 80 percent of that increase with $51.5 billion; China with $11.8 billion; followed by Russia with $8.3 billion. Meanwhile, Britain's spending increased significantly for the second consecutive year, rising 17 percent to $8.1 billion. Spending for 2023 by nuclear-weapon states - including France, India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea - was up more than 33 percent from the $68.2 billion spent in 2018, when ICAN first began collecting this data. Since then, nuclear-armed states have spent a total of about $387 billion on deadly weapons, the report found.

Potential risks

Researchers also stressed that the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have increased international tensions, undermined global security, and posed an obstacle to nuclear arms control efforts, increasing the risk of nuclear war. ICAN director Melissa Parke called the “billions of dollars wasted on nuclear weapons a profound and unacceptable misallocation of public funds.” Parke stressed that the amount was more than the World Food Programme estimates is needed to end world hunger.

In this worrying context, SIPRI researchers call on national leaders to carefully assess the potential risks of nuclear weapons and their negative impact on global security. SIPRI also urges countries to step up diplomatic efforts through international dialogue and cooperation to address common security challenges, reduce the risk of nuclear weapons and strengthen global security.

VIET ANH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nguy-co-tu-bong-ma-hat-nhan-post745085.html