CND press Roundup, Monday 14th March, 2022
Posted: 14th March 2022
War in Ukraine
Red Pepper magazine has the first of a two-part interview with CND Vice President Bruce Kent, alongside CND General Secretary Kate Hudson, conducted after they delivered a letter to the Russian Embassy protesting the invasion of Ukraine. Asked on his thoughts on a modern nuclear confrontation having lived through so many historic moments he said: “I’ve never previously felt that a nuclear war was actually likely, or possible, even in all the crises like Cuba and elsewhere. This is a very critical moment, especially when you see how much power is in the hands of one man. Last night on television Putin had two generals next to him — great big puddings — nodding at what he was saying. Very frightening. I can see no justification for pushing Ukraine into NATO. NATO is the forward arm of the western alliance, and we should realise that and back off.”
Amid Vladimir Putin’s nuclear posturing, Declassified UK gives a good overview of the UK’s nuclear weapons history through the Cold War and into the post-Soviet security landscape. It notes that two of the ways the UK could use nuclear weapons under NATO’s current nuclear posture: in a “demonstrative role: i.e. aimed at a non-critical uninhabited area”; or in a “punitive role, where a country has committed an act, despite specific warnings that to do so would incur a nuclear strike,” are “uncomfortably close” to the threat implied by Vladimir Putin in February.
The Metro reports comments from a daughter of a Chernobyl nuclear power plant employee, that the Russian troops currently in control of the facility “have no clue” about the required safety protocols. Natalia Ruemmele was speaking to Fox News when she described conditions at the non-functioning plant including a lack of sleeping quarters, no heating, and scant food supplies. She’s called for a safe corridor so replacement staff can relieve the current workers.
Trident
A key supplier of steel for the UK’s Trident submarine fleet has been told by the government to sever links with Russian state-owned energy business, Gazprom. Sheffield Forgemasters’ links to Gazprom go back to 2006, after Garzprom entered the UK gas market with an acquisition of Pennine Natural Gas. In 2013, it was announced that SF would be able to purchase gas ahead of time at low prices, with an option to resell any unused fuel stock. Sheffield Forgemasters – which itself came under the control of the Ministry of Defence last year after being considered an industry of importance to national security – must seek new energy suppliers at a time of skyrocketing prices if they are to keep their furnaces going.
Iran Nuclear Deal
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said Monday that negotiating teams in Vienna are “currently having a breather from the nuclear talks,” amid fears last-minute demands made by Russia will collapse hopes of a revived deal. Saeed Khatibzadeh said the hold-up on announcing an agreement was due to “some important open issues that need to be decided upon by Washington.” While a draft text is believed to be mostly completed, Russia has sought last-minute guarantees that its trade with Iran will not be covered by US sanctions. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, is scheduled to travel to Moscow on Tuesday for unspecified talks.
North Korea
South Korea’s Yonhap predicts that North Korea could restart full testing of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) as soon as this week, the first since November 2017. US officials said last week that two tests undertaken by Pyongyang in February and March were to check components of a new ICBM system that could deliver a nuclear warhead, ahead of an official test. Yonhap writes that the upcoming test would likely be from a transporter-erector launcher with the missile fired in a lofted trajectory – giving US spy satellites less time to discover the test than if it was conducted from a launch pad.
Fukushima
Reuters writes on the 11th anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that led to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, at a time when political leaders are clamouring for a return to nuclear energy. There was no official state memorial for the disaster this year, and proponents of nuclear power have “become emboldened to speak out in its favour,” due to an energy crisis that has been worsened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Nuclear Energy
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Prince Abdullah Bin Khalid Bin Sultan, has announced a plan to establish a holding company for participation in nuclear energy programmes. The company would be involved in the production of nuclear energy and desalinated water, and also participate in atomic research projects internationally.
The first nuclear reactor to be opened in Europe in 15 years began production in Finland on Saturday. The Olkiluoto 3 reactor started test production by delivering electricity to the national grid, with aims for it to cover 14% of Finnish demand once fully operational in July. Finland is keen to lower its reliance on energy imports from Russia, Norway and Sweden amid skyrocketing prices for oil and gas. It’s the first Finnish plant in four decades, but its original opening date of 2009 was pushed back due to technical problems and lawsuits.
UK Nuclear Energy
The Mail on Sunday writes on a new task force proposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that would bolster gas, oil, and nuclear production in order to combat rising energy prices. In addition to mainland UK fracking and tapping North Sea oil and gas reserves the task force “is also expected to produce actionable plans for boosting the UK’s use of solar and wind power and nuclear energy – developing ‘more reliable home-grown British energy’.”
Rolls Royce is calling on the government to speed up a decision on plans by the firm to build ‘mini-nuclear’ plants, or Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The first of these plants aren’t expected until the early 2030s, but Rolls is pushing the government to fast track their designs due to the ongoing energy crisis. However the government says exhaustive safety checks must be made since no SMR prototypes have been made.
With best wishes,
Pádraig McCarrick
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament