CND Press Roundup Monday 28th Feb 2022
Posted: 28th February 2022
A call has been made by the CND, alongside CODEPINK, Stop the War Coalition, and the No to NATO network, for a global day of action against the ongoing war in Ukraine. Scheduled for Sunday, 6 March, the action demands Russian troops leave the country, a halt to any further NATO expansion, and for a negotiated peace to the war. All those opposed to the fighting are encouraged to take to the streets in a “massive display of global opposition to the war and the warmongers.” The day of action follows a successful international online anti-war rally last Saturday which was attended by almost 2,000 supporters.
Some coverage for the CND in Scotland, with the National picking up the movement’s call for the UK not to engage in the use of escalatory military action against Russia. The article also quotes ICAN in response to suggestions by Vladimir Putin that nuclear weapons may be used. “This amounts to threats to use nuclear weapons, as prohibited under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It is clear from his words and actions that the use of nuclear weapons is always on the table and the risk of nuclear weapons use is increasing,” the group warned.
UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace has labelled Vladimir Putin’s announcement to put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert as an attempt to distract attention from Russia’s slow progress during its invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to Sky News, Wallace said: “He’s made this comment. We keep it under review…what we shouldn’t really forget is that this is a big attempt to distract away from his troubles in Ukraine by just deploying into the sort of media space these phrases.” Wallace’s comments come as UK newspapers on Monday lead with Putin’s decision in response to what he called NATO’s “aggressive statements” amid the ongoing invasion.
AP has a longer report on Putin’s decision and ongoing attempts to make military progress towards major Ukrainian cities. Commenting on Putin’s choice to put his nuclear forces on high alert, one US official said he was “potentially putting in play forces that, if there’s a miscalculation, could make things much, much more dangerous.”
The Guardian has a collection of photographs from global peace protests against the war in Ukraine. There’s a nice one of a certain well-known and enduring peace symbol during an event in Berlin.
A constitutional referendum in Belarus on Sunday gave the greenlight for the country to drop its non-nuclear status. The vote passed by 65.2% and could see the hosting of nuclear weapons on Belarussian soil for the first time since the end of the Cold War. The vote came as Belarussian anti-war demonstrators took to the streets in opposition to Belarus’ support for Russia’s invasion, with Reuter’s reporting at least 290 arrests.
The Intercept has a piece looking at Ukraine’s decision after the Cold War to disarm its nuclear arsenal and the failure of international agreements to ensure its security in the decades since. It looks at similar decisions made by Libya and Iran to give up their quest for nuclear weapons, only for agreements to be reneged on.
Nuclear Japan
Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has suggested that the country considers hosting US nuclear weapons in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Speaking during a TV interview Abe said “Japan should not treat as a taboo the reality of how the world is kept safe.” While Abe did say Tokyo should still pursue the aim of global nuclear disarmament, he added that the talks should take place while also “taking various options fully into consideration.”
UN nuclear safety experts have commenced a review of a controversial plan by Japan to release 1 million tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. Lydie Evrard, the deputy director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency said the team would “listen very carefully to local people’s concerns and the inspection is designed to provide answers about safety in a transparent manner.” Tokyo’s decision last April, which would see the water released over several decades, has been met with opposition by local fishers as well as neighbouring China and South Korea.
Iran Nuclear Deal
Iran has said reaching a renewed nuclear deal is possible, but key issues still need to be resolved by Western powers involved in the negotiations. “Reaching a good deal is possible…The US and European powers have not taken political decisions on these major issues,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh. Talks in Vienna are set to continue into March following progressmade by negotiators over the last two weeks.
UK Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) has commented on the recent planning application made to East Suffolk Council by EDF, which seeks permission to carry out testing on its proposed Sizewell C nuclear power plant site. NFLA Chair, Cllr David Blackburn said “the application has gone in just as the Planning Inspectorate is about to make a recommendation to the Secretary of State on whether to proceed further with the next stage of the development. EDF wish to be allowed to conduct on-site trials to test whether their construction methods will work on the land at their disposal. It beggar’s belief that they should do this now at such a late stage in the process, rather than at the start.” The Inspectorate has been examining EDF’s plans for Sizewell C for nearly two years and the report submitted to the Government last week won’t be made public until May.
Pádraig McCarrick
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament