CND Press Digest: Friday 17th March 2023

War In Ukraine/NATO

• Footage of an incident where Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on a US Reaper drone operating over the Black Sea.
• China’s Xi Jinping will visit Russia next week where he is expected to discuss strategic partnerships and cooperation.
• Poland will deliver four Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine in the coming days, marking the first time an ally of Kiev has sent warplanes.

UK Military

• CND’s Kate Hudson is quoted in The Morning Star’s coverage of the UK government’s decision to boost military spending by £5 billion over the next five years: “The government keeps telling us that there is no magic money tree, yet there is always money found for nuclear weapons; they are spending billions on the military while millions of public-sector workers are desperately trying to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.”
• That’s as some Tories indicated that despite the funding boost and recent Integrated Review refresh, the MoD would go ahead with cutting tank and personnel numbers outlined in the earlier review of 2021.  
• Peace Pledge Union’s comment on the military spending announcement.

AUKUS

• Some very good letters to The Guardian over the AUKUS pact pointing out that the benefits are mainly seen by arms companies, the links between civilian and military nuclear, and how the government’s nuclear energy strategy is coming at the expense of more affordable and renewable alternatives.

UK Nuclear Energy

• Campaigners opposed to Sizewell C in Suffolk slam the recent budget announcement on nuclear energy as greenwashing.
• The Guardian asks is the government right to classify nuclear power as sustainable?
• The BBC runs with a similar feature asking how environmentally-friendly and sustainable nuclear power is?
• Responsible Investor looks at the investment industry’s lukewarm reception to backing nuclear. New Civil Engineer also looks at the need for a comprehensive plan from government.
• Green Freeports in Scotland North dot Wales looks at the possibility of a new nuclear plant at Wylfa - which has enthusiastic backing from its local Tory MP Virginia Crosbie.

• The Mirror and announced £2.9 million in new funding for the project “which will deliver an initial demonstration of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor. This follows a £249,000 study funded by the UK Space Agency in 2022.”

Iran Nuclear Deal

• Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer on how world leaders are being left to guess Iran’s intentions for its nuclear programme.
• Meanwhile, The Atlantic Council points out that world leaders have been trying to save the Iran nuclear deal for a longer period of time than it was in force.

North Korea

• The Bulletin on the dangerously high nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula.
• The Times, meanwhile, has a feature on the USA’s ability to intercept a North Korean ballistic missile attack: “Nevertheless, the Pentagon, aware of North Korea’s increasing missile capabilities, has contracted Northrop Grumman, the defence technology company, to develop the next-generation interceptor for what is called the ground-based mid-course defence system. Each of the new interceptors will have multiple kill vehicles. This will change the dynamics of a possible confrontation with North Korea, although the first test of this new system is not likely before 2026. The existing interceptors have had failed tests of 40 to 50 per cent, although none resulted from systemic technical faults. There were on-board battery problems with one and, in a single instance, corrosion on the silo arm prevented launch. The tests go back to the prototype era of 1997, when initial failures would have been expected.”

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament